Introduction

The laughscape of humour in India goes as far back as 500 CE when Bharata spoke of humour as one of the nine rasas in Natyashastra and argued how mimicry and juxtaposition produce humour. With the introduction of visual modes of entertainment, the ubiquitous presence of humour in Indian popular culture is further underlined by the satirical films of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and the performances of Mehmood and Johnny Walker. The chapter while outlining the potted history of comedy in India argues how, until a few years ago, comedy in India meant slapstick or mimicry, but now the public in India has taken cognisance of stand-up and also engages with it through varied ways of participation. In addition to outlining the emergence, growth and increasing proliferation of the form, this chapter discusses the trajectory and evolution of stand-up comedy in India, its shifting ‘humour regimes’ [G. Kuipers, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 14(1), 63–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367549410370072 (2011)] and its role as social and political commentary. Furthermore, in the stand-up comedy scene in India, one can clearly see the emergence and consolidation of a new kind of classification based on aesthetic, political and economic factors.