Stand-up comic artiste Navin Prabhakar notes that comedy is being confused with merely poking fun and resorting to sleaze. Reflecting on the current obsession with instant validation, he remarks, “We all human beings love attention but jab attention zyada ho jata toh 370 ki briyani ban jata hain.”
Criticising the trend of roasting, “Roasting is not comedy kash yeh aaj ke artistes samjh jaye joh doston ki kichai hoti thhi usko bahar le kar aana aur stand-up ka naam dena galat hain. Public domain pe kisi ka mazak udana kuch jeene ya maarne ke baad even when you are into a white collar profession aap doctor ho, it’s really pitiful.”
Speaking on the current controversy surrounding the comic Pranit More show, Navin believes there is a societal disconnect. “Youngsters today are confused; they think this is comedy! They have missed in an era where names like Johnny Lever, the late Raju Srivastava, Sunil Pal took this genre to the next level with every single performance. Unke built kiye hue characters aaj tak yaad hain logo ko. Their punches or mimicry were the thrill of every stage or TV episode. Today it has been reduced to vulgarity, kya itna aakal aa gya hain achhi writing ke below the belt jokes aur ochepann ka sahara lena pade.”
Talking about experience in the stand-up industry Navin says, “We are used to catering 25-30K crowds in a go and trust me people always wanted more content even after three to four hours of a show. As who doesn’t want to be part of a good, clean and real comedy with perfect timing. Ab 300-400 ka crowd nahin handle ho pata,” he asserts.
The veteran artiste also empathises with the pressure today’s performers face, while acknowledging the ecosystem that nurtures toxicity. “They are young and reckless, bura bhi lagta hain ke kaise they are trapped into this situation just for TRP and social media presence aur bhugat artistes rahe. Even they (artistes) are performing under immense pressure of getting a houseful. Ultimately the hour of fun and comedy crosses the boundary without anyone being aware of it.”
Despite the changing landscape, Navin remains satisfied with the path he has chosen for his career. “It has been 20 years and abhi bhi log aa rahe to shows where artistes like are entertaining them with their entire family so that’s my earning and award.”
