Hasya Kavi Sammelans at one time in Indian literary history, were as eagerly anticipated as the weekly Sunday episodes of Ramayana on the national broadcaster’s TV channel. They were events where poets gathered to make people laugh and think — about society, politics and even their spouses.

Hindi satire had enough seats reserved in village halls, and town auditoria, and eyeballs with the arrival of TV, their popularity helped on by Doordarshan. But the onslaught of cable media meant people had more to choose from and brands of Hindi satire lost their following, and their audience shrank and sank deeper into a television daze.