Threats to comedy can’t be laughed away

As comedians increasingly face attacks from politicians, Jawaharlal Nehru’s word of encouragement to cartoonist Shankar — “Don’t spare me, Shankar!”— quietly lies buried in history books.

Cartoonist Satish Acharya, known for the sharp political commentary, says, “My work as a political cartoonist is always challenged in such a hostile environment. Even when you try your best not to let the environment bother you, at the back of your mind, you are constantly thinking about the repercussions of a cartoon you’re drawing.” 

Satish receives much appreciation for his bravery and persistence, but more than anything else, he wants “a free platform to draw cartoons”.

“The Kamra incident is one of the many instances which is a sign of creeping anarchy in India,” says Krishna Prasad, former editor of Outlook magazine. “There used to be a time when Lalu Prasad Yadav enjoyed (comedian) Raju Srivastav’s satire. Manmohan Singh used to openly laugh at the jokes made on him. Shekhar Suman once recalled how Vajpayee walked up to him and said ‘I laugh the loudest when you make fun of me’,” he recalls. 

Things have changed. Jaideep Varma, Mumbai-based filmmaker who made the documentary ‘I’m Offended’ (2015) about contemporary Indian humour, says “ego and hubris” make politicians target comedians.

“Jokes, cartoons and satire puncture their false narratives more efficiently than anything else,” says Satish Acharya. 

Krishna Prasad believes the controversy over Kamra’s jokes is a “lovely distraction when there is a lot to be ashamed of — poor economy, stock market plummeting, and rupee value falling.”

Government censorship of entertainment has now become more commonplace than ever before. On the one hand, far right organisations promote propaganda films to instil fear and hatred among the audiences, and on the other, the censors block films showing India’s harsh realities — the internationally acclaimed Hindi film ‘Santosh’ being the latest case in point. 

“Is there enough satire in cinema? At least not of the kind that there used to be,” says Krishna Prasad. 

Srinivas Prasad, political satirist, says satire is no longer popular in India, whereas it still is in the United States and Europe. When democracy and its institutions are not mature enough, intolerance towards opinions, whether serious or satirical, raises its head, he says.

Role of a comedian 

Political satirists and comedians have been around for ages. Today’s cartoonists and stand-ups are modern-day counterparts of the Shakespearean fool and the Vidusaka in Sanskrit drama. They provide social commentary and expose political absurdities. 

Writer, filmmaker and educator Basav Biradar says a comedian’s role is to entertain people burdened with the realities of life while also providing social commentary. “This has been the historical role of a comedian — a court jester, for instance fulfilled this role as did the Vidusaka or Sutradhara in ancient Indian drama,” he says.

Tenali Ramakrishna in Krishnadevaraya’s court and Birbal in Akbar’s court are popular examples of jesters who could prove a point through their humour. Tenali was referred to as a Vikatakavi (a humorous poet). 

Basav adds: “Comedians hold a mirror to what is happening in our society. Many times, a good comedian makes us laugh at our own prejudices and biases.”

In India, he says, only stand-up comedians say things openly because the form allows them more freedom than what a movie audience would. “They are important because they have a massive impact on culture,” he says. 

Kamra is not the first comedian to get into trouble for their satire. Vir Das and Munawar Faruqui have run into legal problems. Vir Das was once slapped with a defamation case for saying, “In India women are worshipped in the day and raped at night”. 

Jaideep believes comedians have the ability to create awareness, especially among those sitting on the fence. “At the very least, in these times of copious censorship, they can allow a safety valve to open for common citizens,” he says.

Author Mukul Kesavan says Kamra is important because he is rude about the powerful, he mocks them in Hindi, and he makes them look ridiculous. He says, “Kamra does what every stand-up satirist should do: punch upwards and make people laugh at the rich and violent. The people he ridicules could sue him for defamation as the law allows, but they prefer vandalism and demolition because they want to make an example of Kamra, to warn us with violence: ‘Don’t you dare!’ Kamra dares. He is a citizen. He is our better self.”