'Religion is a No-Go Area in Stand Up Comedy and Now Even the Law Says So'

Comedians and satirists have borne the brunt of the state and of people who are offended by something or the other, but even so, the stand up comedy scene is quite active with many faces. One such name is Punit Pania, who left his corporate job 10 years ago and is now a very successful stand up comic. His topics range from poor roads and civic architecture, know-all bhakt uncles, NRIs, but he also talks about social issues.

“In my first open mic, I had two minutes and talked about domestic violence because I felt it had to be talked about,” he said to Sidharth Bhatia in a podcast conversation. He noticed that a man from the audience left, “dragging a woman behind.” Pania says he is not a political activist, but his comedy cannot help but be political.

“Why there are potholes on the road and why there is no beef on your plate, both things are politically driven. And those are just the most blatant examples. If you really drill down, almost every aspect of your life has a political background to it.”

Even so, he slips in references to political leaders.

“When you completely inundate the country with your image and your persona and then people can't even mention your name. Even slightly critically. How is that fair? So, when you take all the credit you will get all the blame also.” He also explains why the laws have made religion out of bounds but there are still “innovative ways to say what you want to say.”

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