About

MERVYN PILLAY

• Entertainer
• Stand-Up Comedian

Comedy – Impressions – Mimicry – Songs

Stage Shows | Comedy Clubs | Corporate Functions | Celebrations

Proudly South African, Durban born entertainer Mervyn Pillay, started his foray in the world of entertainment out as dancer, mainly to the tunes of Bollywood songs, which saw him tour South Africa extensively and a few neighbouring countries. He has performed alongside some of South Africa’s top notch entertainers, musical groups, dancers and fellow comedians. Taking many shows to the big cities and small towns.

Being heavily influenced by the Indian film Industry he started out imitating the dance moves & styles of many actors, especially Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachachan, which afforded him the opportunity to perform for the mega star a few times when he visited South Africa. He then added mimicry to his repertoire imitating the voices of Indian film stars, old and current actors.

Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan, Sivaji Ganesan, Dilip Kumar, Irfaan Khan, Nauzadeen Siddiqi, Suriya & Rajikanth are his Indian screen heroes. Hollywood actors Tommy Lee Jones, Morgan Freeman, Jeremy Irons,  Denzel Washington and Jackie Chan are his favourites.

His favourite musicians are Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Zakir Hussein, T.M.Soundrajan, Hariharan, Abida Parveen, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Anup Jalota, while his favourite English performers are Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Anita Baker, George Benson, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross and Shalamar.

Mervyn’s Bollywood routine includes mimicry, singing and dancing – the dances have a comedic touch which brings out laughter more than anything else. He cites American comedian Eddy Murphy, India’s Johnny Lever and comedic genius Jerry Lewis as his inspiration behind the comedy.

He believes comedy like music has no barriers. It brings people of all cultures together, laughing at each other and together. When just 10 years old he worked in the cinema during weekends as an usher, that’s when his love for acting started – the big silver screen was his teacher. He watched everything that was legal of course, all genres of cinema, action, thrillers, musicals, comedies, documentaries and true stories. He says, “movies and theatre excited me; I was in awe of these famous thespians of the silver screen. Throw in Indian movies and karate movies, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris, Steven Segal, Jean Claude and Jet Lee were his kungfu/karate heroes. So I had this love for the movies and performing arts for along time…”