tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8204542.post1980405476036655388..comments2024-03-27T14:57:37.031+05:30Comments on Jabberwock: On Krishna Shastri’s Jump Cut (and notes from a humour discussion)Jabberwockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10210195396120573794noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8204542.post-68362137424727549982014-05-05T01:58:22.238+05:302014-05-05T01:58:22.238+05:30Humor depends greatly on perspective, as Mel Brook...Humor depends greatly on perspective, as Mel Brooks points out: "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die."LengelCJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07402786155318870483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8204542.post-42106253961701499092014-05-03T20:29:13.795+05:302014-05-03T20:29:13.795+05:30Good observation there, Mr. Singh. I had to temper...Good observation there, Mr. Singh. I had to temper down my funniness at work because no one was taking me seriously. Just because I joke about a few things, and remain cheerful, generally, apparently it doesn't go well with my job title. The price: behind my back, employees say "saala joker hai, kuchh bhee bataa dena usko..."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8204542.post-71025021516441074462014-04-29T19:16:28.575+05:302014-04-29T19:16:28.575+05:30Deepti: yes, very possible that many people who ha...Deepti: yes, very possible that many people who have grown up with Hindi cinema think in those terms about comedy and comedians. It's a complicated subject though. Hindi-film comedy is part of a very long tradition that predates cinema by centuries, and there are inherent differences between some of the modern Western modes and the <i>haasya ras</i> traditions in Indian literature and theatre. But at the same time, the West too has had a tradition of pure buffoonery where you laugh more *at* the comedian than *with* him.<br />Also a question of semantics: "comedian" being perceived in different terms from someone who "has a good sense of humour".Jabberwockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10210195396120573794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8204542.post-65630524025146141272014-04-29T10:46:01.045+05:302014-04-29T10:46:01.045+05:30I think one reason the word 'comedian' sou...I think one reason the word 'comedian' sounds so uncomplimentary to Indian ears is the way comic actors have been used in HIndi movies. I've thought about this often - in the West, being funny is considered a good, even attractive quality. A witty person might be complimented by saying they should be a comedian. A comedian in the West is someone intelligent with a keen sense of observation with the ability to crack you up with outrageous comments on just about anything.<br />In India, the image that the word conjures up is Johny Walker and Mehmood competing for the affections of Tun Tun under the nose of Bhagwan Dada. We have been conditioned to laugh at these men, many of them very competent actors in their own right, rather than laugh with them.<br />Maybe that's why the late Mr Bhatti's fan was offended at the word - perhaps he could not bear the idea of his idol standing in the company of Johny Lever and Kader Khan. (Again, not deriding the talents of those actors, but just look at the work they do in most movies - the only kind of work our industry can think of assigning them.)Deepti Sharmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09462873637851411701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8204542.post-36870104936491631942014-04-25T18:36:34.548+05:302014-04-25T18:36:34.548+05:30You would, wouldn't you!You would, wouldn't you!Jabberwockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10210195396120573794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8204542.post-11998017578941968412014-04-25T18:24:23.550+05:302014-04-25T18:24:23.550+05:30I love the way three HarperCollins books appear in...I love the way three HarperCollins books appear in the piece/comments! Karthika V,Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8204542.post-13803565406880827282014-04-25T16:59:02.002+05:302014-04-25T16:59:02.002+05:30@ Anon - That saanchi ka stupa scene is damn hilar...@ Anon - That saanchi ka stupa scene is damn hilarious. God, the first scene itself is legendary. One of the funniest I have ever read. I think the write up on Hindi movies and Shammi Kapoor in that book was so well written. I loved the way he broke the narrative and started his ramblings on hindi movies. Great book that. Pessimist Foolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06057153008708242962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8204542.post-89423831123495322402014-04-25T16:33:35.695+05:302014-04-25T16:33:35.695+05:30oh yes, if Manu's novel had been brought to th...oh yes, if Manu's novel had been brought to the attention of the right (or wrong) people, and someone had decided to stir up a fuss about it, I'm sure there would have been widespread condemnation - maybe even a call for a ban. The same is true of almost any halfway-provocative book written in this country. The only question is: does someone notice a particular book and care enough to make a noise about it? Once the noise has been made, the "offended" usually get their way.Jabberwockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10210195396120573794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8204542.post-60061972305224993622014-04-25T16:24:35.312+05:302014-04-25T16:24:35.312+05:30Since you bring up Manu Joseph's novel, Illici...Since you bring up Manu Joseph's novel, Illicit Happiness, I am quite surprised that he wasn't condemned for having made fun of so many things that Indians hold dearly: religion, caste, even the city that they were born in. While Manu was being funny, and also satirical, one must never underestimate the Indian tendency to get easily offended.<br /><br />Equally funny was Kiran Nagarkar's "Ravan and Eddie", and it too, were it to be published today, might be misunderstood. I remember one line from it: "her Sanchi Stupa of a breast..." On Twitter, something like this is likely to be treated with a lot of contempt. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com