KARACHI: While humour does not always necessitate mocking others, modern comedy has always thrived on laughter. Borne of contempt and insult, from broadcast roasts to social media impressions. However, while Dave Chappelle is being chastised for mocking transgender people, Munawar Faruqui is being targeted by the BJP for a joke he didn’t even make, and Vir Das is being for ‘insulting India.’ what can be laugh about: Akbar Chaudhry.
Meanwhile, despite their intense political satire, raising of taboo themes, and race-based humour, comedians like Trevor Noah, Joe Rogan, and Russell Peters remain unstoppable.
Pakistani comics appear to be turning out stale, regressive mimicry with their unbalanced predisposition towards the superiority idea. When compared to artists pouring their wit and grit into pushing for change in an era marked by a socio-political awakening.
It is very clear from the get-go what things can be joked about: Akbar Chaudhry https://t.co/5Fh9xX6fUC
— South Asian Wire (@WireAsian) December 18, 2021
Consider YouTubers such as Saad ur Rehman and Zaid Ali T, who have recently chastised for mocking TikTokers and using women as a punchline in the name of ‘entertainment.’
While humour may take the edge off controversial themes and be use as a form of resistance, comedian Akbar Chaudhry believes that entertaining for the sake of enjoyment is still a worthy goal. As long as the motives aren’t mala fide and the jokes aren’t tone-deaf and insulting. The comedian gained to stardom with his impersonations of popular memes and celebrities after his mimicry of Indian politician Shashi Tharoor prompted the latter to request another portrayal of Imran Khan. His exaggerated ‘Karachi accent’ and curly hair have become his identity, but he describes how his sensitivities have grown even as he earns appreciation for his work.
‘The Internet’s Idiots’
“I received immense appreciation for Idiots of the Internet but when I look at it now, I understand why people would think that I am mocking a certain class,” Chaudhry tells The Express Tribune. His mentioned video sees a compilation of statuses, captions and tweets – from non-English-speaking Pakistanis on social media. that make little to no sense. “But there is a distinction between making fun of someone and taking a dig at something that someone has done,” explains Chaudhry. “So personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with cracking a joke about something that is inarguably laughable,” he adds.
what can be laugh about: Akbar Chaudhry
It is very clear from the get-go what things can be joked about: Akbar Chaudhry https://t.co/Bl9uhinqAQ
— HumQadam TV (@HumQadamTV) December 18, 2021
But Chaudhry feels his taste has evolved. “I feel there are things that I found funny five years ago that I don’t anymore. Our sensitivity and taste evolve with learning. Just ten years ago, we all were of such different mindsets. In the profession of comedy, we need to stay up to date to understand how mindsets are evolving so we can stay relevant, so our comedy can whither the shift in time,” elaborates Chaudhry.
Without a goal, comedy is meaningless.
“I personally never liked political satire but I’m an advocate of self-awareness. And in a country like Pakistan, it is very clear from the get-go what things can be joke about. Just like in India, where Muslims are already prosecute regularly, it is not surprising why – like Munawar Faruqui – even considering joking about Hinduism can get you the short end of the stick,” says Chaudhry.
It is very clear from the get-go what things can be joked about: Akbar Chaudhry https://t.co/Bl9uhinqAQ
— HumQadam TV (@HumQadamTV) December 18, 2021
The artist, who is also an aeronautical engineer, agrees that the term “woke” has become a pejorative, and that pseudo-woke and fascist individuals pressure comedians. Artists to limit their speech to a particular style. An artist should be able to speak freely about anything, but I myself want to avoid turmoil.” I believe that if Chappelle’s jokes were offensive to a community, he should not have cracked those jokes either,” says Chaudhry, who previously stated that Chappelle was his influence in an interview last year.
what can be laughed about: Akbar Chaudhry
People who criticise jokes that aren’t in bad taste, on the other hand, offend Chaudhry. “I believe a comedian’s job is to spread joy. If a message is being transmit through comedy, that’s great! That, however, should not be the rule; rather, it should be the exception. He maintains that “there should be no compulsion in that regard.”
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