No Permissions Needed: Jeeya Sethi, Harpriya Bains On Blazing Trails In Comedy

At the Digital Women Awards and Summit 2025, standup comedians Jeeya Sethi and Harpriya Bains shared their deeply personal journeys of breaking barriers in India’s male-dominated comedy ecosystem. Their stories revealed how courage, community and persistence have helped women claim space on stages where they were once invisible.

Jeeya Sethi, who has been doing comedy for over thirteen years, reflected on a time when women were largely missing from comedy lineups. “There were women in the audience but no women on stage,” she said. “We had to create our own platforms.”

In the early days, comedy festivals, lineups and production teams were overwhelmingly male. Rather than waiting for inclusion, Jeeya chose to build alternative ecosystems from the ground up. 

“We opened women-only comedy spaces,” Jeeya shared. “Women production, women behind the camera, and it is all women.”

This intentional ecosystem building did more than create a stage. It shifted industry norms.

Jeeya explained how she actively encouraged male producers to include women on their lineups and ensured women were visible across stages in India. “Now there are women on stage. Every city has women doing comedy.”

For Jeeya, building networks of networks became central to sustaining change. Comedy workshops, women-only open mics and structured mentorship helped create an industry framework that previously did not exist for women.

Finding your voice

Harpriya Bains’ journey into comedy followed a nonlinear path shaped by life transitions and creative exploration. Before comedy, she spent years in advertising, followed by a career break and a deep dive into the arts.

“I was in the advertising field for a long time, then I got married and took a little break. I explored other art fields and got into painting. I am also a professional artist,” she shared.

After returning to a corporate role for several years, circumstances once again pushed her to pause. It was during her time in Goa that she encountered the growing stand-up comedy scene in India.

Watching live shows and online videos reignited a long-standing love for the stage. “I have always loved being on stage. I have done theatre, hosted events and anchored. I loved the limelight of being on stage.”

Seeing women like Jeeya Sethi perform became a turning point. “Jeeya Sethi was one of the pioneers who paved the way for women like me.” 

What stood out to Harpriya was the absence of authentic narratives from homemakers and women like herself.

“The gap I found in comedy was that the women’s voice was actually a housewife’s voice. I thought we have so many stories to tell.”

At the age of forty, she made a conscious decision to try comedy, giving herself a clear timeline. “I said I will try. If it does not work, I will move on.”

Challenges for women artists

For both comedians, the most persistent challenge has not been logistics or opportunity, but mindset. Harpirya spoke about the pressures women face when choosing performance-based careers, especially those that operate late into the evening.

“All open mics and comedy clubs are in the evening. You have to go at 8 or 9 PM. That mental setup is very difficult because women hold themselves back.” 

For Harpriya, self-doubt became the first hurdle to overcome. “Whenever there is a performance-based career, the first thing that holds us back is ourselves.”

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Jeeya echoed this through her lived practice, encouraging women to claim space even when it feels uncomfortable. “If there is a room full of boys, they are not going to invite you into the conversation. You have to insert yourself into the conversation.”

Harpriya also addressed the darker side of visibility in the digital age. When her videos began circulating online, the backlash was swift and unsettling.

“The first video I put out, I was very confident. I was talking about moms and women’s experiences. I did not use any dark jokes. And then I received trolls.”

The harassment intensified when she released a video addressing men’s behaviour on the road. “I literally got rape threats in the comments.”

Shocked by the severity, Harpriya took formal action. “I finally reached out to the cybercrime cell and reported it.” The experience reinforced a difficult truth.

“Society is still not ready for women comedians. We have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go because mindset is not changing," Harpriya observed.

Comedy as resistance

Despite resistance, both comedians spoke about the transformative power of representation. Harpriya shared moments that reaffirmed her decision to persist. “Two women comedians told me that my joke about homemakers inspired them to get into comedy. That completely blew my mind.”

She realised how digital platforms amplify impact far beyond immediate audiences. “One joke, one reel has led somebody to start another career.”

Messages from across the country strengthened this belief. “Someone messaged me saying their mother joined a dance class at fifty after watching my videos.”

For Harpriya, comedy became a source of liberation. “Stand-up comedy has liberated me. I became financially and creatively independent.”

Together, Jeeya Sethi and Harpriya Bains demonstrated at the Digital Women Awards and Summit 2025 how women in comedy are not only finding their voices but building spaces where many more can be heard.

Views expressed by the author are their own.