Politics of Recognition and Representation in Indian Stand-Up Comedy

This book, first of its kind in the Indian context, brings together both a theoretical understanding of various aspects of the humour, aesthetics and politics of stand-up comedy, and case studies of various forms of stand-up comedy in India. This volume is interdisciplinary wherein the contributors raise pertinent issues about the role of stand-up comedy in India in contemporary times. With an increased presence of OTT platforms and internet penetration that allows for easy access to this art form, stand-up comedy in India cannot be ignored anymore. The book includes chapters on Indian stand-up comedy related to the themes of: interrogating the term ’Indian stand-up comedy’; historical lineage of stand-up in India; the politics of language and laughter; ’charged humour’ vs ’safe’/profitable comedy; stand-up comics as parrhesiastes, performance of the self and comic personas; comedy and other forms of artistic expression; laughter clubs, urbanism and stand-up comedy; surveillance, censorship and trolling; the economy of production and consumption of stand-up comedy and the ’silences’ and limitations in the contemporary form of stand-up in India.

Richa Chilana is Senior Assistant Professor at School of Liberal Studies, UPES, Dehradun, India.

Rashi Bhargava is Assistant Professor at the Department of Sociology and Social Work, Christ University, Bengaluru, India.