Don’t laugh it off

Advocate Dhillon ne kaala coat avian nai paya! Koi hor rang nai si, islaye paaya....This cult comedy dialogue from the Punjabi film Carry On Jatta, Jaswinder Bhalla telling Binnu Dhillon left the audience in splits.

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Even today this is Punjabi industry’s most sought after comic punch. Though the recent Punjabi film Vaisakhi List turned out to be a disaster, the only thing that one eagerly awaited for was the comic sense of Jaswinder Bhalla. Exactly! Our point, no matter how bad a Punjabi film is made in terms of the story of execution, no matter how badly it is shot, the film never fails to get the humour, the punches bang on.

In fact, so is the case with Haryanavi punches. They will invariably evoke laughter (read Surinder Sharma). On World Laughter Day, as we sit back to enjoy the works of Punjabi and Haryanavi comedians, we wonder what makes them so bang on with humour!

A laughing matter

Actor comedian Binnu Dhillon has worked in umpteen Punjabi films, even though many of those films have failed miserably at the box office, Binnu has walked away with appreciation for his comedy. “It has been said over and over again, but it is true, comedy is the most difficult art. All the same, if you look at Punjabis, they have an inherent quality to make light of all things. This is the reason when they get down to the serious business of comedy, they excel in it. Or, let’s say we can’t go wrong with humour.”

Punjabi films have mostly been criticised for the lack of content, but there are fewer chances when someone said that their comic timing was not perfect. “Because we are not, give any Punjabi actor or comedian a scene and ask them to give it a light, comic twist. The net result would be a hilarious, rib tickling comedy,” shares actor Rana Ranbir. Rana feels Punjabi humour comes out from one’s own life, which is relatable and laughable. “The humour that we present through our movies, are actually dialogues spoken in the day to day life. They are simple punches, which is why they are bang on.”

Itna baawla hon ki zarurat na hai

A lady traffic cop stops a motorbike with two pillions on it. All three of them are wearing helmet. There is a small four-year-old seated on the bike’s fuel tank. Lady cop looks at them closely. She counts the number of helmets—1, 2 and 3. She then looks at the child. “Ainey bhi helmet pehnade. Ainey kyun shod diya!” Haryanavi humour, yet again, coarse but bang on!

Says actor Preet Thakur from Una who has worked in many Punjabi films and plays. “Punjabis and Haryanavis don’t have to crack jokes in literal sense, the way they speak, the manner in which they narrate will leave anyone else in splits.” — Jasmine Singh