Frontline On Air | How small-town comedians are taking the internet by storm

Heartland comedians are using humour more fearlessly and effectively, finding their voices and audiences online.

Although comedy in India today is conflated with stand-up artists in the big metros, performers from all over the country are finding their voices and their audiences online and on social media. Either through relatable characters who comment on current affairs or through poetry and song, these artists are bringing hyperlocal issues and a range of regional flavours to the forefront. And they are doing it in a country increasingly intolerant of humour and suspicious of dissent.

The nature of the content may differ: some comedians are more political than others, some prefer neutral topics, some want to see societal change, others just want to amuse people. The fact that these performers come from all pockets of India suggests that comedy and satire have been constants in our culture.

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