There’s a Sunday ritual that many Indian comedy fans will be familiar with. They wake up on a nice sunny morning, get their morning cuppa going, sit in front of their screens at 11 am and wait for the latest episode of Kvizzing With The Comedians. If you’ve got that front-bencher energy even on the Lord’s Day (we just have a question… how?) you can even participate and drop your answers in the live chat, where quizmaster Kumar Varun is almost always waiting for you. 

Kumar Varun’s brainchild, Kvizzing first started as a live event at Mumbai’s Haiku Jam. However, like all other creators, KV had to adapt in light of the pandemic, which is when he embraced the online format and ran with it. Three years later, he now leads a production company called Kumar Varun Kvizzing, has gone back to doing live shows, and launched a quiz exclusively for members of his YouTube channel.

One of the many measures of success for KV’s Kvizzing empire is the number of former quiz enthusiasts who have expressed interest in contributing to the show. Till now, he’s been working on the questions himself, along with a team of quizzers from his alma mater FMS Delhi, and he appreciates the help. “After giving it some thought we realised this is great,” KV told Deadant. “People contributing to the quiz helps in so many ways. The audience gets to be an integral part of the show and see the behind-the-scenes workings. Secondly, the more people contribute to any quiz, it makes it that much more diverse.”

After a small selection process, the comedian identified 4-5 people who are now part of the team putting the questions together. Last week’s IPL edition was the first one to feature their contributions. In case you want to be part of this elite crew and are wondering how to devise the perfect quiz brain-twister, KV has some tips for you. “I’ve always said a good quiz question is one where people either feel delighted that they knew the answer or they feel enlightened,” he said. “The proverbial ‘aha’ moment is a must. No matter how obscure the question is, once the answer is revealed the contestants need to go ‘oh!’” 

KV also started his production company Kumar Varun Kvizzing in partnership with talent management company OML last year. The company not only makes the online editions possible but also works on other live shows and puts together corporate events with trivia at their heart. Speaking about his vision for the company, KV said: “Our long-term mission is to take quizzing to every household and every member of the family in whatever shape and form.”

The comedian is also intent on giving back to of the OGs of his little community, those who have been with him since day one. The original idea for Kvizzing always involved audience participation. But due to the COVID-19 lockdown, those plans were put on hold up until now. KV didn’t cannonball straight into the format though. It first started with Kvizzing with the Comedians and You, where four contestants teamed up with comedians to fight for top honours. “Everyone who has watched Kvizzing wants to be a part of that show,” he said. “I also want them to be part of the show because it’s very easy for people to just sit and say, ‘Hey, if I were there I would have said this.’”

But the idea really got rolling when he launched memberships on his YouTube channel, reducing the sample size of potential candidates. So, if you’re looking to take part, all you have to do is take the top-tier membership (called Exhaustive) and sign up on the community page when spots open up. Just like FIFA rules, you’ll get a chance to defend your title as well. 

“I have always believed that quizzing can be done by everyone,” said KV. “Right through my school and college I felt that it is considered to be a nerdy activity. It sounds very exclusive but I genuinely believe that it is for everyone. Even the online episodes are designed in a way that every member of the family will have something to say. That’s my larger objective.”