Humour and Comedy: Tools to make a point

 Comedy and Humour is about timing and sharpness of words. There is this genre which is so effective that it can convey in a few well timed nuanced sentences with adequate pauses say something which is awkward when told in plain prose. The medium and the language along with the target audience play crucial roles in deciding the kind of comedy. Are humor and comedy different? Yes, humor is something which is used as a tool to lighten up and change a normal or abnormal situation into a lighter moment. It comes more spontaneously and makes serious situation less serious or actually funny. Humour brings a smile on ones face. On the other hand comedy is designed to evoke laughter and usually a loud kind to actually bring the house down. 

The best humour I have read on a consistent basis in the past has been my old favorite Behram Contractor writing his column "Round and About" in the Evening News, later MidDay and finally in his very own paper The Afternoon Despatch and Courier. Comedy is much more multi modal and while Sir Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy remain my all time favourites, the animation cartoons like Tom and Jerry are also able to elicit the laughs. Then there are these old loud Parsi theatre plays but in these too the king of understated comedy was the redoubtable Adi Marzban. He started from Parsi theatre and gradually even performed on the radio where he was only heard not seen. Later on Doordarshan he was leading a popular show “Aavo Mari Saathe” where he used a mix of English and Parsi Gujarati to make great comedy. Every language had its share of humour and comedy. The Chimanrao series in Marathi and the comedy P L Deshpande were also great and gave a lot of pleasure to many of us. In the English genre the Lucille Ball Show, Everybody Loves Raymond and Yes Minister combined comedy and humour to create delightful viewing experiences. In the movies genre we have the old slapstick overactedy  Mahmood, Johnny Walker comedy contrasting with my all time favorite Hindi comedy movie Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron. Many mainstream actors act as comedians but among them Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Boman Irani, Arshad Warsi and Paresh Rawal beat most actors.

There is one important thing that both humour and comedy can do but doesn’t do every time is to ensure that while playing and punning with words it should create a meaningful lasting message. My feeling is that humour is definitely different from comedy and is more subtle. So at different ages and levels of understanding our ability to understand and enjoy both changes. Also, there are times when comedy which is easy to comprehend is good and helps to relax. For example the old story of Hum Paanch and the more contemporary Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chashma has its place as comedy which is reasonably meaningful but is also social message driven. For class comedy Satish Shah and Ratna Pathak in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai makes for the perfect mix between a balance of both humour and comedy. One more medium of humour is the print medium and cartoons, comic strips and even the hoardings have been a major contributor to the genre of humour. R K Laxman and Mario Miranda have to my mind been the best examples of excellent cartoonists with absolutely contrasting styles. Laxman was a craftsman capable of using a ticket size cartoon to convey ideas and humour of a quality which was unmatched. Contrast with Mario who literally created magical canvasses with lovely details in black and white, bold strokes to tell stories and could also literally write a book in cartoons. His Goan flavour and the lively vivacious figures oozed oomph and sex appeal to create a different attraction. Then there were the Air India, Amul and Nana Chudasama one liners which were not strictly classifiable as cartoons nor as humour.

Today there is a trend of stand up comedy and comedian who develop a skill set and a package which is very attractive on account of using the sets music visuals. These personalities are often capable of delivering very compelling messages to the viewer and they can sway opinions. They can use this skill set to criticise insult and defame their opponents. Here wit and repartee can cross the line and create enemies and quarrels. Sensitive persons do not easily exhibit the ability to laugh at themselves. In this matter I feel that the small Parsi community are very capable of self deprecation and very easily laugh at themselves. Public figures find it difficult to exhibit similar qualities. Mahatma Gandhi,Winston Churchill and Jawaharlal Nehru were examples of having the ability to laugh at themselves. 

On the flip side the reels and instagrams and tik tok videos seem contrived humour of little value and seems to be loud over the top. At times it is bordering on the obscene with an intent to hurt in the guise creative freedom. Without any malafide intent if the humour and comedy is pure it will be appreciated and well received. Most of my generation guys are gone either permanently or almost inactive. I hope we get such persons today. I urge people to recommend such talent to revive the comedy scene and encourage them. Let us learn to laugh and be ready to be laughed at. 

Vispi Jokhi