Mirshakar Fayzulloyev: “Gentra – the embodiment of darkness” (interview)

This time, the guest of the podcast is stand-up comedian and humorist Mirshakar Fayzulloyev, discussing the artist's latest major concert, the symbolic meaning of the antique invitation prepared for the concert, the significance of Gentra's breakdown during the concert, the aspects of this idea related to family values, why the artist left the “MTV show” project, the reasons for not preparing show projects on television channels today, and other topics.

On February 15 of this year, the first major concert of Uzbek stand-up comedian Mirshakar Fayzulloyev took place at the Humo Arena complex in Tashkent. This event was memorable not only for jokes but also for an astonishing performance. There was a unique idea in the selection of the invitation in the form of a bonka. According to the artist, the underlying issue is also the loyalty to family values.

– What topics do you find difficult to communicate with the audience today?
– The audience is diverse. When we go on stage, we somehow get used to calling a thousand people the audience. Each of those thousand people is an individual. In a stand-up club, the audience sits closer to us. You can clearly see their emotions. For this reason, working in a stand-up club is relatively more complex.

– What topics do you never talk about?
– I do not talk about topics that have become the meaning of someone's life. The harm these topics can cause is greater than the benefit they bring to you. Moreover, I do not dwell on anyone's physical shortcomings. Additionally, I try not to touch on the personality of the audience at all.

– Have you ever been criticized to the point of being unforgettable?
– Not exactly like that, but I have received reasonable advice. It was from the NTT television channel. An employee of this channel advised me not to speak in the Bukhara dialect. That is, the dialect is my distinguishing feature, but if I always use it, they said I would lose my uniqueness. It was reasonable advice, and I accepted it. Another piece of advice was to wear glasses. They explained that glasses would hide the seriousness on my face. I accepted these. I have also been told a lot about my laughter. However, I cannot give that up, sorry, I did not choose this.

– Do you think it is right for a comedian to laugh at their own jokes?
– There is no limit to this; it depends on the situation. If it is going to be a sincere performance, based on the situation, it is appropriate. You are a person too, you have emotions, that is natural. If it is a stand-up concert, then laughter is also based on a script.

– You stopped the “MTV show” project, which you hosted on the “Milliy” television channel, when it was the most viewed. Why?
– Exactly to be remembered with that same feeling. Initially, there were 50 people working on the show. Then, two at a time, artists were taken out and involved in other projects. Gradually, the number of artists in the project began to decrease. This directly affects the quality. It was very difficult to carry out a daily project that had a large team behind it with just four people. And you can see, if you continue in this state, the show will worsen day by day. But if you stop now, nothing will change. Instead of stopping after pointing out the shortcomings of the project, we found it more appropriate to stop ourselves today.