New Delhi: Amid the ongoing row over comedian Kunal Kamra’s satire on PM Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Sanskar Bharti, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has called upon stakeholders to play ‘a joint and responsible role to protect the dignity, decorum and purpose of the comedy art forms’.
Stand-up comedy, said Sanskar Bharti, has become a platform for ‘indecent language, religion, caste, gender insensitivity and contempt of national values in the race for shortcut fame’.
The outfit, which claims to promote Indian art and movies, passed a resolution in its Akhil Bharatiya Prabhandhan Karini Baithak held in Nashik, Maharashtra, earlier this month underlining the need to ‘re-establish Indian values in comedy genres’.
“Removing current mediums like stand-up comedy from indecent, insensitive and controversial topics and making it decent, purposeful and communicative on the basis of Indian cultural values will be an important step in this direction,” read the resolution.
नासिक में संपन्न हुई संस्कार भारती की प्रबंधकारिणी बैठक में “हास्य विधाओं में भारतीय मूल्य बोध की पुनः स्थापना आवश्यक” इस विषय पर प्रस्ताव पारित हुआ।#SanskarBharati pic.twitter.com/HFtYSUQXYL
— Sanskar Bharati (@Sanskar_Bharati) April 16, 2025
Kamra’s set, which included a parody of a Hindi film song and indirectly mocked Shinde, using references such as ‘gaddar’, was released on his YouTube page. This was followed by Shiv Sainiks destroying the venue in Mumbai where the set was performed. On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court granted Kamra interim relief from arrest in connection with one of the FIRs filed against him in Mumbai for remarks he made during the set.
Earlier, YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, or “BeerBiceps” as he is more popularly known, had also faced flak for remarks he made on the YouTube show India’s Got Latent.
In its resolution passed on 11 April, Sanskar Bharti said that “India’s dramatic tradition is the oldest and richest tradition in the world, the foundation of which is laid in the Natyashastra written by Bharata Muni”.
Adding, “The Rasa-Bhava theory described in it is the soul of the Indian dramatic tradition, which is not only a means of entertainment, but also of ‘Lok Shiksha’ and ‘Chitta Amanod’. Humor has also been given an important place among the nine rasas. This tradition has been the carrier of social consciousness, human behavior, sanskar and culture.”
The resolution goes on to say that whether it is the “mild humor of Sanskrit plays, couplets of saints and poets, satirical stories of folk traditions” or the satirical style of contemporary literature, humor in all has “inspired the public towards self-introspection, dialogue and improvement”.
“In the current context, stand-up comedy has emerged as a new form of modern expression of this tradition. Humor-based content broadcast on digital media is rapidly attracting the youth,” it added.
Sanskar Bharti also said it has observed a decline in recent years in the level of presentation and content of this medium.
“Under the guise of freedom of expression, many artists intentionally or unintentionally try to gain popularity by mocking religious symbols, satirical criticism of national heroes or making fun of social practices. Many such comic segments have been seen where an attempt is made to garner laughter only with the help of abuse, sexual hints or communal comments. This trend also weakens the sense of sensitivity, tolerance and cultural respect among the young audience,” the resolution added.
The executive committee of Sanskar Bharti said the need of the hour is to reestablish ‘the original spirit of the Indian comedy tradition in the modern context’. “The management considers the balanced development of comedy essential by encouraging meaningful dialogue between the artists associated with this genre and the audience,” it added.
Adding, “Artists and workers associated with Sanskar Bharti are called upon to play an active, sensitive and inspiring role across the country, so that the comedy genre can develop in accordance with Indian values, dignity and cultural objectives.”
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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