The Great Punjabi Challenge
Randeep Wadehra

Sooner than later it was bound to happen. The famed Punjabi humour has made its presence felt at the national level and how. Four out of six finalists in Star One’s latest edition of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge are Punjabis – from Amritsar. There was a seventh Punjabi participant too — Amanullah from Pakistan. With roots in Amritsar, he holds iconic status as a stand-up comedian on both sides of the divide and was a special invitee to all episodes of the show.

The Punjabi blast has certainly not come out of the blue. In the previous editions of the show, the likes of Bhagwant Mann and Gurpreet Ghuggi had given ample evidence of the region’s talent and potential, but their humor was like gentle breeze. This time a gale-storm hit the small screen. The robust, in-your-face spirit successfully translated into such a laugh-fest that even Sidhu’s guffaws sounded genuine, and one noticed Shekhar Suman matching the laughing sardar chuckle for chuckle.

The top three positions have gone to the lads from Amritsar — Kapil Sharma, Chandan Prabhakar and Sudesh Lehri, in that order, while the fourth finalist from Amritsar, Rajiv Thakur, has bagged the fifth position. Their entry into the fast lane to fame and prosperity is thanks to the ballistic mix of hard work and talent.Sudesh Lehri, as evidenced in Alpha Gaddi, puts in a lot of thought and work into his get-ups and characterisations. The other three have shown great observation power and keen insights into human nature. While Sudesh is already an established star, the other three have been trying to carve out a niche for themselves for quite some time now. Together they have been participating in various comic fests and competitions. They offer healthy criticism to each other even while participating in the same show.

In the show’s earlier editions stand-up comedians from the Hindi belt had dominated but this time the flavour was distinctly Punjabi — irreverent, self-mocking, politically incorrect and utterly crazy. However there was one difference — while the other humorists did not mind resorting to ethnic jokes targeting Pathans, etc, the Amritsar quartet avoided this genre, and explored the comic potential of other aspects of human life and situation.

Be it Chandan Prabhakar and Rajiv Thakur’s spoofs on celebrities, Sudesh Lehri’s take on our civic sense or Kapil Sharma’s unforgettable characters Lala Roshan Lal and Shamsher (the Punjab Police cop), they never failed to toss you into laughter cyclones. The reason is simple — original content with novel punch lines. They avoided clich`E9s and stereotypes and came up with new characters and situations. Apart from comic sense and timing, another talent they have in common is the ability to sing. This enables them to present melodious satires — targeting established singers, composers and lyricists.

Now the question that arises is, what has the future in store for stand-up comedians in general and these potential stars in particular? Would they end up as entertainers at political jamborees and award functions a la Raju Srivastava and Co or get small roles in movies, given the competition? "Not really", asserts Chandan, "we’re being already offered lucrative assignments by various television production houses as well as channels. Big banners from Bollywood too are showing interest." Kapil and Rajiv too are upbeat about their future prospects. As for Sudesh Lehri, he is already an established Punjabi film and TV star. The latest success will only take him to a higher orbit.

HOME