“If you wish to file an FIR, please step out of the auditorium and do so,” said comedian Daniel Fernandes to a woman who interrupted his set, taking offense at one of his jokes. “I am a lawyer,” the audience member responded. Fernandes retorted, “If you are a lawyer, I am a liar. I will say I never said it.” A few scattered laughs followed, and the show went on. FIRs and taking offense at jokes have seemingly become a new obsession in the country, especially now, with top courts and police officers in multiple states fixated on an internet influencer’s crass comment on a no-filter comedy show. As the media, social networking sites, politicians, and courts weigh in on the matter, a group of comedians recently came together to focus on a real issue plaguing Mumbai—air pollution.

The show Laughs Per Minute – Breathless Edition was held in Mumbai on February 28. The event was a collaborative effort by DeadAnt and Asar. Twenty-five comedians from the city came together to turn Mumbai’s smog-filled reality into hard-hitting punchlines, all in a bid to raise awareness about the air pollution plaguing the City of Dreams.