The Pain Of Laughter

Involuntary cackling can alienate people, but can be managed with treatment

- Pooja Biraia Jaiswal

For 16-year-old Neerja Naik, who lives in the Navsari district of Gujarat, the recently released Joker was more than a film. It was a depiction of what her mother was going through every day. Though the movie was about the origins of the Batman super-villain, it was the uncontrollable, episodic and heartbreaking laughter of Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, that haunted moviegoers for days. Fleck, who later transforms into Joker, has a mental illness that makes him laugh involuntarily, mostly at inappropriate moments. The same happens with Vrutti Naik, Neerja's mother, except that the 36-year-old also has episodes of unintentional crying.

Just a few days ago, while Neerja and her grandmother were talking casually, Vrutti broke down sobbing. The episode lasted more than five minutes and scarred the college girl. “She was never like this,” says a teary-eyed Neerja. “We had a cheerful and happy mother who was always sure of herself and would go out of her way to care for us. But now, she seems to have lost control. The other day, just as she was drinking water, she broke into laughter and spilled the water. There was no reason for her to laugh, but she could not control it. It was as if her emotions were flowing out without her knowing it.”