Laughter biz booms in hard times You heard this one?

The demand for joke tellers has hit an all-time high. Many are quitting regular jobs to go on stage and tickle audiences across the globe. Crowds are so big they could fill a stadium

Two weeks ago, 24,000 people gathered in Dharwad to listen to jokes. It started pouring, but they just wouldn't go home.

Joke shows have become all the rage in Karnataka, and many joke tellers are even travelling abroad with their bag of gags.

A group is right now performing across the US. M S Narasimha Murthy, who quit a bank manager's job to become a full-time humorist, earns at least Rs 5,000 for a two-hour session. And he does several a day.

"People need humour today. It helps them cope with the stress of modern-day living," he told MiD DAY.

Sudha Baragur, sometimes the only woman on a stage full of men comedians, agrees. "In the cities, people are stressed out about their jobs, and what lies in store as the economy sinks. They find relief at our shows."

Sudha is the director of an education trust, and used to teach economics.

She is now full-time into comedy. She also hosts joke shows on two TV channels: Kasturi and Udaya.

New arena

During election time, joke tellers started getting invitations to political events, but not many accepted.

"Politicians wanted to use our popularity to attract people to their campaigns," Sudha said. She refused even the money was good.

"We were afraid they would talk endlessly, and our event would be sidelined," she told MiD DAY.

Five joke tellers, including Narasimha Murthy, took part in the Dharwad event. That set the organisers back by Rs 25,000, but they think it is money well spent.

In the towns and cities, the minimum crowd strength is 10,000. "People of all ages come, and they don't even demand seats."

The idea of joke shows, called Hasyotsavas in Kannada, originated ten years ago. In popularity, joke shows have overtaken orchestras (bands) that sing movie songs at public venues.

Hasyotsavas don't need any publicity to draw people. "The moment they hear about a show, they come in huge numbers, and of their own accord," said Narasimha Murthy. That, he says, is not something that can be said of theatre, cinema, book events, or even music concerts.

Peak season

October to December used to be the peak season for the joke events, but now they get invitations round the year.

"The Ganesha festival and Rajyotsava season used to give us four months of work, but now we get calls round the year," said Sudha. "We are a big attraction at schools and colleges, and even at weddings."

But some joke tellers are already feeling anxious about repeating their gags.

"The audience now comes looking for fresh jokes. If we are telling them the same old jokes, they get bored," said Krishne Gowda, a Kannada professor at St Philomena's College in Mysore.

Many joke tellers also write and do TV productions. As the economy struggles, life is getting tense and uncertain for those in regular jobs. But for those good at comedy, life has never looked better.

Some Hasyotsava jokes

Q: Why didn't god Ganesha marry?
A: Every morning, he woke up to see his dad Shiva being harassed two wives, one on his head and another on his lap. He thought he could do without a laptop, and so mounted the mouse and escaped.
(M S Narasimha Murthy)

Congress leader S M Krishna called up my house to seek my support. Our household help Pandi picked up the phone. "This is S M Krishna speaking," said the former chief minister. "I want to speak to Sudha." Pandi thought someone was pulling a fast one. So he told him in Kannada, "This is Vajpayee speaking. We know whom to vote, so don't try to fool us!"
(Sudha Baragur)

SOME STARS OF THE GUFFAW BRIGADE

Sudha Baragur, former economics lecturer and now full-time stand-up comedian, refused to tell jokes at political meetings because she felt politicians are not punctual, and talk too much.
Narasimha Joshi of Gangavati sings popular songs with his own funny words.
Krishne Gowda, Kannada professor, tells jokes from his teaching life.
Aa Ra Mitra loves word play. The popular novelist S L Bhyrappa wrote a book titled 'Naaneke bareyuttene' (Why I write). Mitra followed it up with one called 'Naaneke koreyuttene' (Why I talk for ever)!
Manjunath Hiremath mixes comedy with magic.
Mysore Anand, electrical contractor, presents cricket commentary in the harikatha style, using classical ragas. He also brings out the eccentricities of Kannada in its various regional dialects.

Cash for chuckles
Joke tellers earn up to Rs 5 lakh in a four-month season.
Movie comedians earn up to Rs 1.5 lakh a day.