LAUGHTER IS TRULY A THERAPY
Jam-packed Tagore Theatre in the heart of the City Beautiful was ready for non-stop laughter thanks to the visiting eminent stand-up comedian. A family show with an enthusiastic audience, a mix of the elderly and the young, who have paid for the entertainment, speaks of the popular genre. Houseful attendance is a reality of the need for such shows where the feel-good sensation stays long after the finale. This show reminded me of the famed Punjabi Marasis of the olden days, who could get away with their mimicry and witty humour and who did not spare the rulers. In ancient Greek society, political and social satire entertained and educated the masses. Modern-day comedians convey subtle messages of social change in society.
These humorists' sense of wit, scrutiny and the art of mimicry makes mundane funny and relatable. Their master card is making people laugh at their own expense. Most comedians place everyday characters in amusing situations, often picking up from the audience through wit and humour. Some crusaders in the garb of the comedians expect a well-versed audience whom they entertain through thought-provoking humour.
The stand-up comedians talk about painful and not easily accessible topics by giving it a humorous angle. The absurdities and the confusion of our daily lives are handled funnily with a message. They inadvertently steer the path that is difficult to tread in routine conversations. It is a cathartic experience for the host who shares his weaknesses or shortcomings with a room full of strangers in the supporting environment. They pick on the audience and share their escapades to create a humorous atmosphere that keeps the audience in splits. The enterprising audience is encouraging; however, not everyone in the audience is game to the planned moments of impromptu interaction. They take it in the stride.
Satire is a relief mechanism that dispels stress and anxiety from our lives. Their passion for their craft makes the show engaging for their audience. They mock the powerful and find humorous angles to some of the darkest sides of life. Comedy, a business worldwide, is a form of self-expression as much as it is about connecting with an audience. Adhering to the boundaries of free speech and playing the role of the interrogator of social boundaries, the task is debatable. When they joke about their lived experience and be the butt of the joke themselves is taken well by the audience.
Stand-up comedy is prone to be misunderstood by the uninitiated, but its rising popularity speaks of mature participants. The complex interplay of culture, politics, and history makes them relevant to the times. The biographical and observational stories are relatable, where the comedian speaks his mind, thus evoking a response through laughter and applause.
This evolved art form is challenging and necessitates skill and technique to ace. The acts involve planning that we find relatable yet pleasurable. We laugh the loudest at the jokes we find relatable, wherein nuances of existence are made funny for us. The mimicry acts, the storyline and the ways of delivery are a sell-out. The keen observer in the comedian judges the audience in the first few minutes to provide non-stop laughter at the stipulated time.
The new form of this genre also ridicules and exposes issues miring the society at large through jokes that may be relatively new to India; its antecedent in the form of marasis is age-old who could get with their mockery and did not spare even the rulers. We can regulate stress owing to Alpha generation comedians who insist laughter is medicine. The adrenaline, where the live comedy has us whooping in our seats, is addictive, and one looks forward to being at another one soon.
