In the last two decades, India has come a long, socially, economically, and of course, politically. While the country has indeed been progressing in almost all aspects, comedians coming under the political scanner are making the headlines of several national dailies.
The imperative need of being politically correct is explicitly targeting a set of people that made a career out making people laugh. With Vir Das, Munawar Faruqi, Agrima Joshua, Kunal Kamra and several others under the watchful eye of self-proclaimed religious protectors, comedy is crying for survival in India.
Latest Instances Where Comedians Have Been Booked
Most recently, the 12th show of controversial comedian Munawar Faruqi had been cancelled in 2 months, the latest in Bengaluru, India Today reported. Police advised the event organizers to cancel the show since credible information pointed towards several organizations that opposed the show, which might create chaos and disrupt public harmony.
Faruqi was also arrested in January in Indore, even before his show had commenced. A few days ago, another comedian named Vir Das was booked for his act, "I Come From Two Indias". A Mumbai-based lawyer had accused Das of defaming India and the Prime Minister.
In the last five years, several comedians have received complaints from the public, which alleged that the comedians had hurt their sentiments by mocking them. All the comedians in the infamous AIB Roast were booked for using obscene and abusive language. Agrima Joshua, another comedian, faced the flak and ultimately issued an apology for her joke on the Marathi icon, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. While the primary purpose of comedy is to make people laugh and destress them, the Comedians are under severe stress while writing their script.
The Need To Loosen Up
Stand-up comedians and satirists prepare for various reactions to their jokes, be it awkward silences from the audience or an audience that did not laugh at the joke. However, one thing that a comedian does not look forward to is an FIR against him. India's avert reaction to comedy could be attributed to its shrinking freedom of speech and expression space, which the steadily sliding rank could substantiate in the World Press Freedom Index.
In all possibilities, India's increasing political influence has a reach beyond political realms. However, as the digital audience that enjoys stand-up comedy and the genre of comedy in general, youngsters are coming forward to support their beloved comedians. Perhaps, it is time for India to loosen its belt and laugh, for art, in any form, is apolitical.
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