“Satire is moral outrage transformed into comic art.”
-Philip Roth
The ability of satire to change our thinking and beliefs like it historically did, is now being questioned by intellectuals. In order to understand if satire is at the brink of disappearance, it is important to delve into an understanding of what satire is, and how the use of satire in political comedy in India has had more effect than that of a mere joke. It has led to discussions, debates and the creation of a discourse in society.
What is the role of satire in society?
Satire can be understood as a tool that employs the use of various rhetorical devices, including irony and parody, as a comment on people, or social institutions, usually to evoke self-reflection and cause possible social reform. It is a tool used to ridicule or critique especially those in power. Though not always funny, humour may often find its way into satire, and the audience may find themselves laughing at the ridiculousness of the reality being spoken about. The finest illustration of this can perhaps be found in a study of Shakespeare’s fools, and their use of wit and insightful humour to speak the truth in the face of power.
How does it play out in Indian Political Comedy?
It could be said that in India, the role of questioning the powerful has been taken up by some stand-up comedians, who remain bold in the face of threats, eviction, and arrests (sometimes for a joke that wasn’t even performed) and still find courage to speak to the State. In the videos of some of the popular Indian political comedians such as Varun Grover, Kunal Kamra, and Munawar Faruqui, references can be found to a wide range of topics, ranging from elections to demonetisation, from nationalism to the 2002 Gujarat riots, from fake news to cow vigilantism. As the years go by, these topics have become increasingly sensitive issues in India and have been the cause of much disruption and even death.
On 20th March 2015, a comedy-musical group started by Varun Grover, Sanjay Rajoura and Rahul Ram, by the name of Aisi Taisi Democracy put up its first Youtube teaser. The title of the show can be loosely translated to mean ‘the screwed-up democracy.’ Under the same banner, Grover continued to perform, and the trio did the Azaadi tour in 2019. A comedian, writer, poet, and lyricist, Grover’s political stand-up comedy has often been interspersed with sharp commentary and detailed observations. This is well illustrated in his 2019 video titled Indian Elections, performed in Mumbai in the midst of the Indian general election in May 2019. Here, wit and humour fill the performance to discuss issues that are rather serious, such as the Ayodhya Ram Mandir issue, Article 370, and the promise to deposit 15 lakh Indian Rupees to every citizen’s bank account.
Along with Grover, one of the strongest voices to question those in power, Kamra, released his first stand up video on 2nd March 2017, titled Patriotism and Governance, (which now has over 18 million views on Youtube). He critiqued not only the demonetisation that took place on 8th Nov 2016, but also addressed issues like answerability of those in power, the vilification of students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and the politics of being labelled as anti-national. A few months earlier that same year, a Dalit research scholar in the University of Hyderabad hung himself from a ceiling fan. It was the death of Rohith Vemula that pushed Kamra to get into political comedy. Kamra and Grover, are examples of few comedians who speak to, and question those in power, while not feeling the need to use any euphemisms to use the names of Rahul Gandhi (Congress), Aravind Kejriwal (Aam Aadmi Party), and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (from the Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP). On the same day that Kamra released his first video, a group called East India Comedy, released a song critiquing demonetisation, and it now has over 14 million views on Youtube.
On the 25th of Jan 2020, Faruqui posted his stand-up comedy set titled Politics in India, Instagram & Signboards. He speaks about growing up in Gujarat during the 2002 riots. His humour conveys the pain of being a part of a minority community (Muslims) in India. On 1st July 2021, he released Politics in India – Part 2 where he talks about his legal cases (with indirect references to his arrest that led to him spending one month in jail earlier that year), the connection of Bollywood and Politics, and lynching of Muslims in India.
Why does it matter?
Journalism has been called the watchdog of society, because of its ability to engage in discussions, debates and analysis of societal functions and institutions. However, as of 2023, India ranks 161 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index. Various journalists have been killed in connection with their work, while various others continue to face threats.
While a few news organizations have withstood this pressure, and continue to report in a non-biased way, they bear the brunt of lack of funding, and continuous trolling and threats. Yet, they persist. Questioning those in power has become an increasingly difficult act in the India of today. In times like these, political stand-up comedy becomes an important tool to hold up a mirror to society. However, the future for political and satirical stand-up comedy that questions the ruling party has become uncertain because of cancelled shows, legal battles and constant threats.
Recently, journalists' houses were raided in the early hours of the morning, and reports claim that they were questioned about their reporting of CAA protests, farmer’s protests and the Delhi riots. In times like these, whether stand-up comedians continue to use satire to comment on society, is a question that only the future will answer. For now, the hope lies in those voices who continue to persist. Faruqui announced in November 2021 that he would quit comedy as a result of twelve shows being cancelled within two months. However, on the 1st of Feb 2022, he posted a video on Youtube titled Gujarati, Muslims & Global Warming. In Kamra’s 2023 stand-up set titled Propaganda, he speaks about caste representation in the judicial systems of India, legal battles that comedians face, and a critique of three major parties in India: the BJP, the Congress, and the AAP; all of this, in a matter of eleven minutes.
While the popularity of political stand-up comedians remains high on Youtube, whether their reach can match that of mainstream Hindi news channels, is a question to be considered. For, they do not deliver news after all, they only crack jokes.
Rashmi Mehta
