Forget criticising society’s suffocation. Today’s edgy comedy tightens the noose, asks you to think of the suffocation as a radical act, and insists you laugh at an easy-to-consume fufaji joke.
Loud and clear, Maanvi. As it should be. What strikes me is the fact that we find it difficult to acknowledge what's going around, to raise our voices for it, but if the same idea is pushed through as a joke, we start validating those feelings. But what goes wrong here is we don't take the responsibility to make it right. To see it as a challenge to make it right. I really like how you have taken Chugtai's work in relevance here. 'Lihaaf' as a story that holds this mirror in society as opposed to female desire and female sexuality, and its later journey to find a place in society was so unfortunate and concerning. But literature, as you said, so bravely, so brilliantly manages to take the responsibility to change that, and still somehow find a way to reach people. It's urgent. It's powerful. 🌻
Thank you so much for your comment, Radhika! You are right. Literature, and indeed all art, is a way for us to counter what's being perceived as normal just because it's popular. <3
"Now, a joke that exposes this hypocrisy is the one that I’d be happiest to like, share, and subscribe to. But a joke that instead of deflating the status quo, dresses it up in cool trends, and asks “aap comfortable ho na?” is not the resistance."
Loved reading your article as always. I often think about these topics but fail to put my views in words. And every time I read your pieces, I find those words on paper (screen). Coincidentally I just came across the show just a few hours before I read this and was thinking about this 'dark humour' culture. Thanks for writing. Made my day.
Loud and clear, Maanvi. As it should be. What strikes me is the fact that we find it difficult to acknowledge what's going around, to raise our voices for it, but if the same idea is pushed through as a joke, we start validating those feelings. But what goes wrong here is we don't take the responsibility to make it right. To see it as a challenge to make it right. I really like how you have taken Chugtai's work in relevance here. 'Lihaaf' as a story that holds this mirror in society as opposed to female desire and female sexuality, and its later journey to find a place in society was so unfortunate and concerning. But literature, as you said, so bravely, so brilliantly manages to take the responsibility to change that, and still somehow find a way to reach people. It's urgent. It's powerful. 🌻
But again, if that is going sideways,
"Pass the mic — and the damn rake."
Thank you so much for your comment, Radhika! You are right. Literature, and indeed all art, is a way for us to counter what's being perceived as normal just because it's popular. <3
"If after a joke, that conditioning is not challenged but is instead validated, then what’s the point of the joke?"
"Now, a joke that exposes this hypocrisy is the one that I’d be happiest to like, share, and subscribe to. But a joke that instead of deflating the status quo, dresses it up in cool trends, and asks “aap comfortable ho na?” is not the resistance."
Dear Maanvi
Loved reading your article as always. I often think about these topics but fail to put my views in words. And every time I read your pieces, I find those words on paper (screen). Coincidentally I just came across the show just a few hours before I read this and was thinking about this 'dark humour' culture. Thanks for writing. Made my day.
Thank you so much for your comment, it truly made my day. <3
Beautiful commentary. Thanks, as always, for making my week. :)
And thank you as always for reading :)