‘Bad language is a defence mechanism, it’s embarrassment that makes audience laugh’

 

 

 

The Constitution of India grants freedom of speech and expression upon its citizens, albeit with certain restrictions on the grounds of decency, morality etc. The recent controversy over a show on YouTube has highlighted the issue of comic liberties that artists may or may not take to stay within the purview of the societal norms. While there seems to be major cultural shift from what comedy used to be and what it is today, there still exist those who can make people laugh without crossing the thin line of indecency. ‘The Hitavada’ caught up with some eminent citizens to know their opinion on the issue. Supantha Bhattacharya, Associate Professor, Hislop College, said, “I do not quite agree with the premise that the entire comedy scene in India has become overly reliant on crassness. While there certainly are examples of comedy (across multiple formats and platforms) that relies on cheap humour, this is not representative of the entire industry. In fact, there are many Indian comedians who are producing intelligent and thought-provoking work that is both funny and engaging.”

 

A number of stand-up comedians make brilliant use of their observational humour and relatable stories, he observed, adding that they often tackle social issues in their sets, but they do so in a way that is both goofy and insightful. Vikash Khurana, Director, Stagecraft Theatre, said, “Freedom of expression is paramount unless there is something defamatory or goes against the laws of our country. Although we are focusing on a particular incident that has happened recently, this has been a problem for a long time now. There is no doubt the standard of humour in the country has fallen drastically”. Depravity is now being twisted and made into humour and being paraded in the comic industry which is a problem, he expressed. “I think the bad language is a defence mechanism and it’s the embarrassment that makes the audience laugh” he emphasised. Elaborating on what Khurana said, Ashutosh Adoni, Mahamantri of Sanskar Bharti, also spoke on normalising crass content.

 

He said, “The issue today is about normalising what is wrong, vile, repulsive and harmful. It goes beyond that to giving it social acceptance and even prestige”. But what the controversy has done to the people in question is that it is giving them free publicity, an elixir in their line of profession. There may have been a drop in the numbers of their followers, but in the long run, as are the ways of the social media, any publicity is good. Meanwhile, Adoni feels that this dilemma of moral and immoral has existed in society for ages. “No era has been an exception to it. However, from the perspective of social regulation, what is perverse and wrong has always been considered wrong. There was never an attempt to justify it as good,” he insisted. “There is no objection to comic expression, but the real issue lies in its quality. It is about the perversion being conveyed under the guise of humor,” he added. On the issue of what happens going forward, Sanjay Bhakre, Actor and Director, shared his views on the issue and stressed that the alarming trend needs to be addressed.

 

“There should be a law in place to regulate comedy content. Every comedy show should be approved by a censor board to ensure that the quality and dignity of content are maintained,” he stated. On the issue of the impact of such content on young minds, Adoni said, “Today the biggest consumer of online content is the youth. They are getting more and more entangled in these adult comedies that underline crass behaviour. Promoting this as the ‘new normal’ is a grave mistake that will cost the society dearly,” he cautioned. “The virus of vulgar comedy may have spread across the map but fortunately there are still some artists and performers who abide by the unwritten norms. On the same online platforms, shows like ‘Panchayat’ and ‘Kota Factory’ have found the right formula for entertainment. The darkest facts of the society are displayed with sharp satire.

 

Of course, there will always be some rotten apples who rely on cheap humour for easy success,” said Bhattacharya. Sumarising all the views and opinions there seems to be a common ask for a vigilance on the content that is being put out. “This controversy is just a excuse, the real mentality of the society is on display here, and those guys are laughing all the way to the bank” said Khurana in jest. All these views and opinions ultimately boil down to the same issue, where are we as a society headed if these are the new standards of comedy. The youth can fall easy prey to new trends tailor-made for them, without realising the long term impact it will have on them and the society as a whole. Many today feel that there needs to be some sort of censorship in the emerging modes of entertainment industry and people should be held accountable for actions on the internet as well.