World Laughter Day: 4 stand-up comics share how they make people laugh during these uncertain times

Ahead of World Laughter Day tomorrow, as India grapples to find hope, four stand-up comics share how they manage to put a smile on people’s faces

Keep it consumable

When the 2020 lockdown started, a couple of other comedians and I started Thirst Trap — a naughty jokes mic. We had promised that it’d be free till the end of the lockdown or till the end of the world, which seems closer now. It feels good to see that it’s gained a following of its own. We collect just about enough donations to push through, and donate the rest to Khaana Chahiye. We’re not gaining anything out of it; the idea was for people to get a laugh if they needed to lighten up. The current situation has pushed me to create a lot more content. I’ve been getting several requests to avoid content related to the virus, because people are tired of it. In general, I’m avoiding dark humour. I try to focus on something that everyone can relate to, for example, shared experiences like living with family during lockdown. Content is getting lighter, and has to be easily consumable. Like, there’s this other show, Cross-Border Comedy — that’s half Indian and half international, which is free. I also run a fun quiz on Twitter, but I’ve been keeping it low to make space for SOS requests.
Kajol Srinivasan

Minus the filter 

All comedians are amplifying SOS requests and we’re doing everything we can through our social media handles. Some of us are doing fundraisers, and keeping a quota of tickets for patients and frontline workers. In my shows, a lot of fans are buying tickets in bulk and distributing them to those who’d like to lighten up. In terms of material, ever since the pandemic hit, I’ve stopped holding back, and so my comedy has become more unfiltered. I’ve stopped the self-censorship. Us comedians, we are sponges; we consume what’s happening around us and convert the pain into laughter. So, the content is now bordering around dark humour, as I try to channelise my feelings about how the government is handling the situation. In terms of navigating sensitive content, I think the onus is not on the comedian to keep everyone’s sentiments in mind. 
Daniel Fernandes

Storytellers, all 

Writing stand-up is difficult these days, but I do get many stories from people [COVID-positive patients] for whom I conduct free online sessions. These sessions can be tough and draining sometimes, but usually they’re fun. We pull each other’s legs; I try to make people forget about their challenges for an hour. What’s happened is that with the pandemic and the second wave, it’s hard to get into the mindset of writing a joke. A lot of it has become more about storytelling. Another challenge is that I haven’t met new people, which is an essential prompt for a storyteller. A lot of my writing now is based on earlier life experiences, drawn from nostalgia. I’ve also been doing Instagram Reels with my son. These days you can’t stay quiet online. I try to watch some TV to get my mind off Twitter and trolls; sometimes, my wife and I end up talking about these things for hours, or I vent to a friend. The tragedy right now is tough; the only thing we’re able to do is to talk these things out. 
Amit Tandon

Searching deeper 

 Pic/Instagram

I’ve been feeling that if not the virus, censorship will catch up with us. In the past year, I’ve felt an increased sense of urgency to speak out and write jokes; no beating around the bush. Financially, we [comics] are ruined anyway, and now the freedom is also shrinking. But nothing can shut up comedians. Censorship has instilled a fear but it has also pushed us to be more creative. Initially, last year, every comic had similar jokes sitting at home; so we were pushed to search deeper as surprising people became more difficult with growing online usage. I even wrote a new show [Notes From The Bunker]. An interesting aspect of online shows now is the Q&A sessions afterwards, where viewers are so desperate to reach out and talk; that’s where all the hard-core, existential stuff comes out. Currently, I’m doing a show called Comedy for a Cause with a few other comics where the proceeds will go to Khaana Chahiye. I’m also trying to amplify requests, and help as much as possible with fundraisers as these are the need of the hour. 
Punit Pania

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