His humour has made him a confidante to those with depression and going through the toughest of times.
Kumarason Chinnadurai, 52, checks off a list of abuses in his past.
Raped twice before he turned 20. Barbed with racist remarks in primary school like “don’t sit next to him or you’ll become black too”. Secondary school brought an onslaught of catcalls and derogatory labels in Hokkien — “‘Ah Kua’ was used more than my surname”, he remarked. The army was more of the same. Beatings at home meant wearing bruises to school the morning after.
Singapore knows him as Kumar, a name synonymous with humour. Clips of his older jokes are still regular fodder of WhatsApp shares and Facebook reposts.
That comedy is forged in pain, but there is no bitterness. Speaking with him, it’s clear he’s made an artform of turning disadvantages into wins. He is fluent in resilience, and he speaks with kindness and empathy.
As the youngest of four children, he witnessed his father’s inability to accept that his first wife had walked out on him. He was four then. He and his sisters were raised by their stepmother, the younger sister of his biological mother.
“I was blamed for their divorce,” he said, and beaten because of a superstition. “Indian boys cannot be born in August. Parents will divorce.”
His only solace were the dogs at the Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) where his father worked, and the family lived at its quarters. “Every day after school, I played with the dogs there. Comfort was them,” he shared.
Turning Hate To Dance
“I could’ve gone the other way… All this bitterness. I’d go to school and I keep hearing these things over and over again. It was very tiring,” Kumar reflected. Instead of succumbing to hate, he focused on ‘excellence’ to defend himself and silence the haters.
At 10, he danced on stage. He danced so well that the bullies stopped picking on him. In the army, he maintained an unbeatable timing of under 8 minutes for his 2.4km, becoming a star.
“I’m a fighting cock. I don’t give up,” he said. “I decided I would do what they all cannot do. So in school, I joined Indian dance. I excelled in it. First time I went on stage, everybody stopped calling me names. Still, it’s very sad when you have to prove to people what you can do so they don’t call you names. Yet the more you respond, they win.”
Then The Funny Thing Happened…
30 years ago, a 22-year-old Kumar was performing shows with fellow comedians Gurmit Singh and Joanne Kam at Haw Par Villa theme park.
“I wanted to moonlight because I didn’t have enough money. So Lim Siauw Chong from TheatreWorks wrote the script, and said I’d get $30. He said ‘you want to standup or not? Just memorise.’”
Kumar could have kept up the fame and pursuit of fortune, as over the course of 30 years, he’s proven fluent across any type of platform, be that theatre, TV, film, and everything in between.
But at 40, he shed the trappings of celebrity. Seeking to balance showbiz with purpose, he decluttered, removing moochers to create space to help others.
Today, home is a HDB apartment in Serangoon North, where he lives unencumbered by debt. He keeps a close circle of friends that he can count on his fingers.
At one point, he applied to be a counsellor at the Serangoon Community Centre and was rejected. Undeterred, he went on to fund the school fees for a young man whose family could not afford further education. He’s lent his shoulder to cry on more times than he can count. Over the years, Kumar has been an active contributor to a range of causes.
It’s Okay To Laugh
Kumar currently gives back through the Singapore Cancer Society and he holds a free “live” performance every two years to help the needy and vulnerable via Beyond Social Services. To reach out to depression sufferers in the Indian community, he hosts a ‘live’ stream for It’s ok 2 Be not OKAY. The programme has been running for almost 3 years, and offers an outlet for those who are depressed to open up.
Over social media, It’s ok 2 be Not OKAY has been more popular than ever as people stay indoors amid the COVID-19 situation. A session originally planned for about 30 minutes stretched to 90, because people started to address their issues as Kumar’s jokes and banter set them at ease.
“We started a Facebook ‘live’ event and it really worked. They all talked back. We had over 6,000 participants. On social media, we don’t see their faces. they can ask any questions they want.”
Now, he plans to host these sessions weekly.
“I believe that God or a higher power has already put you on a path. If you divert to what you are not supposed to do, you will be a very frustrated person. So, find something that makes you happy. Even if it’s less money, at least you’re satisfied, and you are happy.”
Catch Kumar on the City of Good variety show Episode 3, July 15. Kumar! The Queen of Comedy, will be supporting Social Service charities with the Dream Academy gang on HOME IMPROVment! The sector enhances the wellbeing of the community, with its professionals and volunteers working relentlessly to help families and individuals overcome issues. Support them here:www.giving.sg/cityofgood/ep3 and catch the show on Facebook Live!
Photos by: Bryan van der Beek | Words by: Serene Goh
In partnership with What Are You Doing SG, a platform capturing the stories of people in Singapore, their challenges, collaborative nature and problem-solving spirit.
