The title of our blog today makes you think that something is amiss with it, isn't it? Traditionally we have been taught that laughter is the best medicine, right? Well, just look around, and you would grant the truth of our title.
Okay, let me give you a few examples that might make you agree with me. Watch our "comedy shows". They mock teachers, for instance. Let me give you two examples; Sagar Karenday as 'Swargate Bai' in ''Chala hawa yeu dya" and Namrata Sambherao as the 'dancing' teacher who makes weird most faces as a teacher in "Maharashtra chi hasya jatra."
Yes, as an academician, I do admit that there ARE problems galore in our education system. Just cannot be denied. Yet when the qq@ fdinstitution is rendered so totally ridiculous in programmes that have a mass appeal, whatever little dignity that is left to it evaporates in to thin air, right?
Believe me, there ARE (may be, just a few) extremely sincere and genuine teachers, from the pre-primary to the post-graduate levels, in cities and in the mofussil areas, who do try everything possible to make studies enjoyable yet sincere. When teachers, lecturers, schools, colleges are rendered ridiculous @ mass media, be it films or the TV, laughter does become a dis-ease!
Since we are talking about comedy, look at what is known as 'stand up' comedy. Everything and anything under the sun that can be precious is rendered ridiculous in such shows just for the sake of a few giggles. Remember the Ranveer Allahabadia controversy? 'Beerbiceps' must have been drunk on so-called success to crack such ugly vulgarities as jokes! As a result of 'such' comic sense in abundance, fart and family, both are laughable in equal measures!
In fact, intellectualism itself is rendered ridiculous currently. Anything distinctly and/or remotely intellectual, rational, serious is shown up as boring, impractical and laughable. What matters is "jugad"! Sure, many intellectuals could be empty airheads.
They do have ridiculous echo chambers and fight viciously amongst themselves. Yet constantly demeaning anything and anyone intellectual as impractical makes a nation where reel heroes and cricketers are idols! Remember, the much hassled Spanish doctor who snapped, " Go to Ronaldo; his huge pay cheques will cure you of corona"!!!
Yes, at all sorts of excesses, we MUST laugh, but not constantly at what is sensible and/or valuable, while glossing over all that is mean, cheap, and vicious. Let me give you an example. Every time, school and college girls gyrate sexily to the "lallati bhandar" song from "Jogwa", an injustice, rooted in society as (an ugly) tradition gets vindicated/valorised as a mere art form! Much worse is this effect than the raunchy cabarets!
We could go on and on giving multiple such examples. Instead let me summarise by stating that what we laugh at shows us up. Let laughter not be a slow poison vitiating everything worthwhile!
Pratima@ 'Life is a comedy when seen in/as a long shot,' said Charlie Chaplin. Why render it tragic in a tight close-up?
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