The Comedy Show 'Mens Rea' by Pandji Pragiwaksono Will Be Watched by More Than 21 Thousand Audiences, Jakarta Contributes Almost Half!

Kapanlagi.com - A few years ago, comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono successfully held his ninth comedy show titled Komoidoumenoi. As one of the artistic figures in Indonesia, he feels a determination within himself to continue responding to everything he feels through his works. Therefore, his tenth show was born this year in 2025, titled Mens Rea.

This latest comedy show was created out of the comedian's desire to make young people aware of the influence that politics has on their lives. Pandji admits to being troubled by the sight of many people in that age group who are reluctant to be 'aware' and sensitive to issues regarding state governance or politics.

"This is a form of political education through comedy. My desire is to make people more understand that we, as participants in democracy, should indeed be smarter and more self-aware." The initiator of Mens Rea expressed.

1. A Glimpse into Mens Rea

A comedy show presented by comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono, Mens Rea. (credit: instagram.com/comikaevent)

Mens Rea is the tenth comedy show tour by Pandji Pragiwaksono, featuring various other comedians as openers. The name of this event is inspired by a term in legal science that means "malicious intent." Bandung has been set as the first destination for his performance on April 19, 2025.

According to the official Mens Rea website, the comedian, who has been building his career since 2010, stated that he only wants to present comedy that can make the audience laugh. There is no ill intent he wishes to convey through his tenth show. However, in its organization, Pandji will carry a political theme with the aim of uncovering the malicious intent behind the actions of these world actors.

2. Developed for More than One Year

Comedy show featuring comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono, Mens Rea. (credit: KapanLagi.com/Ratri)

According to Rahadyan Kukuh, Head of Promotor Comika, the design process for Mens Rea has been underway for a year. This planning began shortly after Pandji revealed that he wanted to create a tenth comedy show after holding Komoidoumenoi in 2022.

"So, when Komoidoumenoi (the ninth show) was finished, Mas Pandji didn't give any signals at all to create a new show, you know. Suddenly, well, not suddenly, it’s more accurate to say that Mas Pandji is full of surprises, 'I think I'm going to make a show (again), right?'" Rahadyan Kukuh told the media crew.

After receiving the 'green light' to create a new show, the Comika Event team immediately conducted research and worked on the design of Mens Rea. "Every show (Mas Pandji) always has an escalation in the number of audience. (This) is also our pride because it turns out, we focus on building the stand-up comedy industry. Looking from Mas Pandji, we are proud to know that the audience or comedy enthusiasts are indeed that large." Kukuh continued.

3. Tour to Ten Cities in Indonesia

A comedy show featuring comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono, Mens Rea. (credit: KapanLagi.com/Ratri)

The Mens Rea comedy show, a special presentation from comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono, will be held in ten cities in Indonesia. These cities include Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bogor, Semarang, Makassar, Balikpapan, Palembang, Medan, and Denpasar. For the final show, the comedian, born on June 18, 1979, plans to take the venue at Indonesia Arena, Jakarta.

It is known that in the city of Jakarta itself, Mens Rea is reported to attract an audience of up to ten thousand people. This achievement will be a proud milestone for the stand-up comedy industry as it successfully earns the title of the largest comedy show in Southeast Asia. In fact, the total audience across all destination cities is expected to reach around 21,400 people.

4. The Feelings and Preparations of Comedians After Being Selected as Openers

A comedy show featuring comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono, Mens Rea. (credit: KapanLagi.com/Ratri)

Dany Beler, Yono Bakrie, and Nury Zhafira are representatives of three comedians selected to be the openers at Mens Rea. Each of them was chosen by Pandji in succession for the cities of Jakarta, Denpasar, and Yogyakarta. The three stand-up comedians expressed their great joy upon learning that they were trusted to open the comedy show.

In their preparations, both Beler and Yono are trying to delve deeper into writing comedy infused with political elements. However, the comedian whose real name is Danny Wahyu Nugraha said that he would not present as much political comedy material as Pandji has prepared.

Unlike his fellow comedians, Nury pays more attention to preparing her physical and mental condition for her performance on stage by asking for tips and tricks from her friends who have previously performed in Yogyakarta. "But, fortunately, since we are both from Java, there will likely be a shared concern. Yeah ... I’ll probably dig into that only, really. I really want, really to convey that shared concern." She stated.

5. Reasons for Choosing Dany Beler, Yono Bakrie, and Nury Zhafira

A comedy show featuring comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono, Mens Rea. (credit: KapanLagi.com/Ratri)

Pandji Pragiwaksono is known for his habit of choosing an opener for each of his shows based on the comedy preferences of the comedians. If he enjoys the entertainment presented by a comedian on stage, he is likely to invite that star to open for his event. This also happened with Dany Beler, Yono Bakrie, and Nury Zhafira.

"When I like someone, I want to show them to my audience. That's the point. So, if I like the comedy, I want my audience to see the performance of that comedian." Pandji stated during a press conference on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The choice of Yono was influenced by his victory in SUCI 10 in 2021. At that time, he was promised to be an opener at Pandji's upcoming event if he could deliver a good performance. Nury was selected after hoping since 2017 and previously faced rejection from the Komoidoumenoi auditions. Meanwhile, Beler was known to take up to eight years since SUCI 7 to convince the main talent of Mens Rea about his skills and abilities.

6. Message for Other Comedians

A comedy show presented by comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono, Mens Rea. (credit: KapanLagi.com/Ratri)

As a comedian who has long been in the stand up comedy industry, Pandji stated that he wants to inspire other comedians out there to stay motivated in pursuing their profession. Because if they are disciplined in their work, it is very possible to attract an audience of 10,000 people, as is currently targeted by Mens Rea.

"If you want to live off stand up, (it is possible) to do so. But, the question is how disciplined you are, how great your desire is to write jokes again, to open mic again. Because I think all of Indonesia knows that I am not the funniest, funny is subjective, but I am just diligent." Said the CEO of Comika.

(kpl/rtr)