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Wednesday, February 18, 2026
TopicStandup comedy

Topic: standup comedy

Jaspal Bhatti would be an ‘anti-national’ today — satirist who always punched up, not down

Nothing escaped Jaspal Bhatti’s scrutiny — rising prices, political corruption, or burning brides. 'He performed when both the state and the public allowed space for criticism,' Varun Grover said.

What is a progressive, feminist man really afraid of? A Delhi play explores

Written and directed by Vijay Ashok Sharma, actor Amol Parashar performed a 75-minute solo show about sex, shame, and intimacy at Delhi’s Stein Auditorium.

Fear in Delhi comedy clubs. Hair loss, first kiss, uncle jokes, but no politics

Young standup comedians are following a no-offence policy in Delhi-NCR clubs like Light Room and Comedy Cartel. 'We don’t want to take risks that could end our career.'

Ranveer Allahbadia isn’t the first. Kunal Kamra to Vir Das, many others faced legal action

Comedian Munawar Faruqui was arrested from Indore in 2021 for allegedly insulting Hindu deities in his jokes, and spent 35 days behind bars before the Supreme Court granted him bail.

Kusha Kapila is right about roasts. They are unkind, unfunny and bullying by another name

The roast mirrors a schoolyard bullying scene: the bully, the victim, and the complicit bystanders. As an audience, we embrace this role without guilt.

Traffic snarl, ‘dogs in cages’ — comedian Trevor Noah ‘roasts’ Bengaluru debacle in Mumbai show

Noah cancelled Bengaluru shows due to 'technical issues'. He is said to travel with his team of technicians & sound engineers, who 'approved the venue & equipment months before' the show.

Brahmin ignorance, liberal guilt, Karl Marx – Manjeet Sarkar spares none in ‘Untouchable’

Stand-up comedian Manjeet Sarkar's power-packed performance builds on his Dalit identity with a singular goal—to make his audience shift uncomfortably in their seats.

KTR extends Hyderabad invite to Munawar Faruqui & Kunal Kamra, says ‘we don’t cancel shows’

State IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao says Hyderabad welcoming of ‘all cultures and criticism’ while Bengaluru, where Faruqui’s last show was cancelled, ‘takes comedy too seriously’.

The India that Vir Das and liberals want – and the one they won’t talk about

Standup comedian Vir Das' Kennedy Center monologue 'Two Indias' is based on a pre-2014 nostalgia and the forced funeral enacted by every liberal.

Political hate has engulfed everyone on internet — Munawar Faruqui on safe jokes & jail trauma

In an interview, Munawar Faruqui talks about his time in jail and its impact on him. He spent over one month in an Indore jail for allegedly cracking indecent jokes.

On Camera

Telangana spoke up for Muslim vendor who was attacked. South is different from the North

A poor Muslim man from Kurnool, selling khoya buns during the Medaram Jatara in Telangana, was harassed by some YouTubers and surrounded by a mob over allegations of 'food jihad'.

Venezuela crude returns to India’s oil basket. But only as ‘supplementary’ supply

Indian refiners are testing Venezuelan barrels again as Russian supply sinks, but analysts say volumes will remain limited due to refinery constraints & supply capacity.

US military commander, envoy Sergio Gor visit Indian Army Western Command, Bengaluru next

At the Western Army Command, the American delegation was briefed on the capabilities of the formation, past operations and the path ahead.

The new Great Game—Trump’s playing for time, China for leverage & India for wiggle room

This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.