LAUGHTER RIOT

The OGs of comedy talk about the then and now of the Indian comic scene

- RADHIKA AGRAWAL

Back in the 90s, comedy in Indian culture was limited to what we saw on the big screen – caricature-like Shakespearean fools that offered some sort of comic relief in an otherwise intense storyline. As a genre, it was often clubbed with other genres to fill gaps in the plot. But all of this changed with the emergence of the second wave of television, as MTV and Channel V started shelling out original content. Led by oddballs such as Cyrus Sahukar, Cyrus Broacha, and Anu Menon, the comedy space began to morph into something unfamiliar, yet fascinating. Perhaps for the first time, we wanted to tune into a music channel not just to listen to the top tunes of the day, but to watch these guys rant, play pranks and portray a hundred different characters.

Today, with comedy specials being streamed on every OTT platform, shows being sold out every weekend, and sketches going viral on social media, it’s safe to say we’ve come a long way. While still not entirely acceptable to some, the idea of being a professional comedian is not as laughable as it used to be. But none of this would have been possible had the right tone not been set by the OGs of comedy, the ‘weirdos’ that came into the space and changed it for the better. We sat down with Sahukar, Broacha and Menon to talk about the good ol’ days and how they compare to the situation today.

ODD ONE OUT: CYRUS SAHUKAR