Someone has to take the risk — might as well be me: Amin Hannan Chowdhury on taking his comedy overseas

Every time we catch up with comedian and digital creator Amin Hannan Chowdhury, it feels like he's sneaking another pinstripe onto his ever-expanding CV. The man's done the hard yards — from cracking jokes at cosy restaurants where the audience could probably fit on one hand, to selling out auditoriums of a couple hundred, to having his own special streaming online. And now, he seems to have made a sport out of selling out shows overseas.

Next week, on 11 October, Amin's set to perform in Malaysia for his second international gig, this time at a university in Kuala Lumpur — a show that sold out in just 48 hours after being announced. Guess the adventures "down under" last year really set the tone for his world tour ambitions.

With the first show sold out, Amin's planning a second one — back-to-back gigs being the norm in comedy. But this isn't some global tour bankrolled by a big company who signs Amin for ten cities followed up by a Netflix deal. 

It's a full-on DIY affair, with Amin handling everything from promotion to filming and post-production himself. The Malaysia show, expected to draw a largely Bangladeshi student crowd, is just one slice of a bigger project — though easily its most vital one.

But when a project demands so much effort with barely any financial return, the question naturally arises — why do it at all?

"I honestly feel if I don't, I don't know who else will," Amin said to TBS. "Years ago, no one thought comedians could fill auditoriums in Bangladesh. But we made it happen — and now it's normal. Maybe this will catch on too."

In an ideal world, a show like his would be snapped up by a streaming platform. But Amin knows that's still wishful thinking given the lack of a local market for stand-up. That's why ticket sales matter — it's all on him. If the potential turnout disappoints, he bears the full hit. The risks are real, both creative and financial, but Amin seems more than willing to bet on himself.

"I am only doing this because someone out there has to take the risk. It might just as well be me," he said.

Amin believes that for comedians from this part of the world, it's a long game — a good twenty years before you can truly start earning from your craft. He points to regional veterans who've spent decades refining their comedy, slowly winning over audiences in cultures that don't easily warm up to new or "foreign" entertainment styles.

"Look at Zakir Khan, for example," Amin said. "Even with Indian communities spread across the globe and a massive audience base, it still took him nearly twenty years to perform at Madison Square Garden!"

Coming back to his upcoming show, Amin shared how he shapes new material for each performance. Since every crowd is different — especially abroad — he often creates exclusive segments tailored to that audience, and Malaysia is no exception.

"I usually spend a whole day just talking to students," Amin explained. "I try to understand what they go through, what connects them, and what it's like being a Bangladeshi student overseas."

Once he lands in Malaysia, he plans to switch into tourist mode — soaking in his surroundings, consciously and subconsciously noting little details that could make their way into his act. "It could be something as simple as waiting at a bus stop or pressing the sidewalk button — how that's totally different from Dhaka," he laughed.

"Even though I won't test these observations beforehand, once I'm on stage, I'll make sure my delivery is relatable for the crowd," he said. "In stand-up, you have to read the room. Maybe the students will relate to immigration hassles or culture shocks — that's where the real connection happens."