New Delhi: On a muggy Saturday evening, an unlikely group of former cancer patients gathered at Delhi’s Indian International Centre’s for a unique comedy show. Comedy in Chaos was a near-perfect mix of dark humour and real talk. The show shed light on their tough experiences with cancer, but in a lighter vein.
The idea for a comedy show came up in a hospital support group for cancer patients. Rohini Khuller, one of the breast cancer “warriors,” conceived the idea because she wanted to make living with cancer feel more normal.
“I hate being called a survivor. I wanted to normalise living with cancer,” said Khuller. She had begun planning for the event about four years ago but it took shape only after she found other cancer patients interested in hosting such an event.
Initially, they planned on collaborating with the hospital, but institutional support was limited and conditional. “The hospital wanted our scripts to be pre-approved, but we felt we needed room to naturally improvise during the course of the event,” said Khuller.
Khuller’s group of ten performers and one moderator took the stage and joked about everything a cancer patient struggles with, from the side effects of chemo therapy to the odd things people say when they hear about the diagnosis, all drawn from their personal experiences.
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Roasting people who give unsolicited advice
The evening opened with a talk hosted by Ruchi, one of Khuller’s friends. “Ruchi is not a patient, but she lost her mother to cancer. She agreed to participate because the cause was close to her heart,” said Khuller.
Nandita Thakur, Ujala Makhija and Jenus Pannu Kohli — all cancer “warriors” — playfully answered all of Ruchi’s questions about living with cancer. They laughed about the strange flavours of laxatives that come with treatment, the shock of losing their hair, and how tricky it is to find a doctor you actually trust.
“Finding the right doctor is as difficult as finding a life partner,” joked Kohli, a former breast and brain cancer patient. The three women poked a lot of fun at all the “free-advice” that has come their way. They roasted people who asked them to “stay positive” by saying their medical tests came back “triple positive.”
“Cancer has taught me that pain is physical,” Kohli said, “but the actual suffering starts when a random person comes to me and says, ‘Hey, my uncle cured it with turmeric!’”
The show closed with 44-year-old Diana Pramana sharing a funny anecdote about going to a vet to get emergency injections when she was being treated for breast cancer.
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Bal-Bal Bache
Ruchi’s talk was followed by a segment, where the performers wore a rainbow wig and talked about their experiences with chemo-induced hair loss.
“This segment is called ‘Bal Bal Bache’ because cancer se toh bal bal bache but cancer ki wajah se bal nahi bache (we escaped cancer by a hair’s breadth, but lost all hair to cancer),” joked Ruchi.
Nandita Thakur, a breast cancer patient who also tested positive for BRCA1 mutation (a genetic test which indicates a higher risk of getting breast cancer), talked about her family throwing a chemo kick-off party where they lovingly nicknamed her “Baldy-Locks” – even before she had begun losing her hair.
“I am still a bit sad about the Rs 25,000 I had spent on getting highlights done right before,” said Thakur.
This was followed by a two-person skit performed by cancer “warriors” Manisha Kapur and Poonam Kamdar, both 56 years old. While Kapur is a retired corporate lead who is now working on her poetry book, Kamdar works as a psychologist.
In the skit, Kapur plays the character of a bold “Manu Punjaban,” who visits “Dr. Oncoleshwar,” played by Kamdar. The routine made fun of medical procedures and the confusing jargon that comes with them. “Genes testing? Nahi jeans nahi, mai toh salwar pehenti hun (I don’t wear jeans, I wear salwars),” Manu Punjaban quipped.
They ridiculed the treatment schedule for seeming like a big, fat wedding — they barely finish one round before the next one begins.
The skit also featured Manu Punjaban’s character struggling to keep up with a wellness coach, played by Nidhi Pant. Pant has been travelling since her active breast cancer treatment was completed. The duo joked about the many “varieties” of cancer, how BCA testing sounds like a degree, and how radiation therapy feels like being inside a tandoor.
“Cancer shancer, tune galat Punjabi se panga liya hai,” declared Kapur, still in her “Manu Punjaban” character. She drew a big round of hoots and applause from the audience.
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Log kya kahenge
Rajneesh Singh, a former cancer patient, moderated a segment called “Log kya kahenge,” with Khuller. This part tackled the awkward and often bizarre comments they hear from people.
“You don’t look like you have cancer” and “everything happens for a reason” got plenty of laughs and, of course, eye rolls. Other cancer survivors in the audience admitted to having heard these remarks.
Khuller joked that she can now eat all the bitter-tasting foods she had avoided as a child because her taste has changed. “It is great because now my skin is glowing; everything is perfect,” she said with a straight face.
Shrutie Dhruva, a 56-year-old who was diagnosed with breast cancer, recalled a salesgirl who told her, “Madam, a dying person’s last wish cannot be denied.” She fired back, “Abhi toh tiger zinda hai (I am still alive)!”
Khuller shared a story about a close friend, who called her and teared up, and then asked her if she felt like crying. “I couldn’t decide whether I should cry or remain positive,” she said. Many performers joked about having to comfort others after sharing the news of their diagnosis.
The group’s simple request came through clearly: “Treat us like normal people. Nothing more than that.”
“Think more Dua Lipa and less Pankaj Udhas,” laughed Khuller.
The audience consisted of doctors, family members of cancer patients, other cancer warriors, and people who have had their own health scares. Most of them related to and laughed at the shared trauma.
The night wrapped up with the band Dirty Class playing an original song, “Sab kuch changa (everything is alright),” written by Kapur and performed by Thakur. All the participants joined in, singing in chorus and dancing merrily to the music, celebrating what they call their “tryst with cancer.”
(Edited by: Aakriti Handa)