Working Title: Lawyer turned Stand-up Comedian Arnav Rao

After having worked at a prominent Senior Advocate's chambers, Arnav Rao decided to make a career shift to become a stand-up comedian, a profession that has grabbed the headlines of late, for all the wrong reasons..In this edition of Working Title, we interview Rao on his decision to switch careers, the recent spate of complaints being filed against stand-up comedians, how his experience as a lawyer helps him keep those who can’t take a joke at bay, and more..At a time when stand-up comedians are increasingly facing occupational hazards for telling jokes, Rao is armed with a secret weapon: his law degree..He says,"There are choices and there are consequences; that’s basically how I see it right now. Doing political jokes may not be good for your career, but I’m okay with the consequences that come with that.A lot of the legal stuff is punishment by process. It isn’t really about the law anymore; the question is do you have the wherewithal to go through this system...when other comedians see police complaints being filed, they get intimidated. But I know that a police complaint doesn’t mean anything until it gets to the FIR. And even when it gets to the FIR, they have to follow the CrPC; there are enough hurdles that I can put in their way when I pursue the matter legally.What’s actually happening is a battle for perception. These (complaints) are all for Twitter, all for show. It’s sad to say, but the legal system is being used as a weapon and not as a shield. We have to figure out how to combat that.".[Watch Video]