CS Krishna says he’s a few nanometres right of centre — 5.000000000000001 on our liberal-conservative scale
We asked India’s comics if they fancied their comedy as liberal or conservative. Here’s what they had to say.
In a country like India, where taking offence is a national pastime, how political can the comic scene be? Is it okay to make jokes on politicians and their politics, or is everyone too scared of Jaya Bachchan?
We sent email questionnaires to India’s leading comics and satirist to get answers to these questions. We also asked them to rate themselves on our liberal-conservative scale.
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Next on our series is CS Krishna. One of the founders of The Unreal Times, Krishna is an IIM-Ahmedabad graduate. Apart from writing satire, Krishna also works on policy issues and development interventions in rural India with non-government organisations, multilateral agencies and Members of Parliament.
- How political is comedy in India?
I suppose it depends on the medium. Satire websites like The Unreal Times and Faking News tend to carry content that takes digs at national politics and politicians. Stand-up comedians on the other hand focus more on Bollywood, social satire and other themes. But, at some level, all comedy, if taking a stand against a regime or prevailing mores, tends to be political.
- How important is it for comedy to be political?
It depends on the context. Political satire is a response to the emerging challenges of the economic order or curtailment of civil and social liberties. That’s why satirists in relatively illiberal countries such as Pakistan have an edge to their work. India is more politically stable and there is not that pressing a need for a political core to satire. The whole liberal versus conservative debate in India is so tepid and contrived, when compared to, say, the scene in Pakistan where it is one of life and death.
We know there is a large number of liberal comics (writers and performers) in India. But are there any conservative comics in the country? If yes, please name a few.
A lot of hilarious Twitter handles and satire columnists who write for The Unreal Times and Faking News tend to fall on the conservative side.
- Where would you place yourself on our liberal–conservative scale?
I think I am centre of centre. But if you want to be precise, I might be a few nanometres right of centre. 5.000000000000001
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