THE FREEDOM TO LAUGH

Laughter has not made it to the list of endangered species yet, but runs the risk of it

- JASODHARA BANERJEE

Laughter is supposed to be the best medicine. According to Google— that great font of knowledge and wisdom for hypochondriacs, journalists, trivia hunters, students and everyone in between—laughing can do a multitude of good things to our beaten down bodies and minds: Boost immune systems, release feel-good hormones called endorphins, burn calories, protect the heart and make us live longer. Given the current times, we sure need as much as possible of all of the above right now.

But unlike treatments of the many non-communicable diseases we are so lovingly nurturing within ourselves—just read any report on urban obesity and you will know—laughter is not sold over-the-counter at the local pharmacy. Standup comedians try their hand at this over-the-counter business— ₹500 for an hour’s dose of laughter—but I have usually found their goods to be rather stale and crumbly, and more effective as sedatives. In order to stop agonising over the wasted ₹500, I have even tried watching them for free on YouTube, but I soon find myself guffawing at comments on cat videos rather than the comedians’ non-existent jokes. Just yesterday there was one comment that likened bathing a cat in a closed shower cubicle to the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. I must have laughed for a full minute. So, yes, sometimes we have to go looking for laughter.