Laughter is a language that every soul understands, says Pritpaul

At a time when literature often mirrors conflict and anxiety, Pritpaul Singh, former sales officer of the Press and Publication Department at Guru Nanak Dev University, is determined to keep humorous literature alive. With the release of his sixth book, “Haasa Nirah Patasa”, Singh renews his lifelong mission to make readers smile.

“They say laughter is the best medicine, but to me, it’s a prayer,” says Singh. “If you can bring a smile to someone’s face, it brings peace to your own heart and also you’ve done a service, greater than charity,” he says with a smile.

“Laughter, after all, is a language every soul understands,” he adds.

The book, like his earlier works — “Aao Hasiye,” “Hasso Te Hassao,” “Hasna Te Hasauna,”, “Dab Ke Hasso” and “Kutkataria” — blends wit, cartoons and Punjabi wordplay.

Published by Patiala-based Twenty-first Century Publications, it follows his two-decade journey as a humorist who continues to wave the flag for a genre that heals through joy.

Singh regrets that humorous writing in Punjabi has lost space. “We have dissent, pathos and poetry — but not enough laughter. Humour is not trivial, it’s essential,” he asserts. His belief finds an echo in Mark Twain’s words, “The human race has only one really effective weapon, and that is laughter,” and William Thackeray’s saying, “A good laugh is sunshine in the house.”

Besides writing humorous literature, he is also good at performing Kirtan and Gurbani Sangeet. He sings hymns at a local gurdwara in his area every day. “Both Gurbani and humour elevate the soul,” he says, “one through devotion, the other through joy.”

As Oscar Wilde once wrote, “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” Pritpaul Singh’s “Haasa Nirah Patasa” reminds readers of that simple truth — that laughter, in any language, remains the purest form of human connection.

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