If
laughter
is
the
best
medicine,
Hindi
general
entertainment
channels
(GECs)
are
using
it
to
the
hilt
to
woo
audiences.
They
are
serving
comedies
in
new
formats,
using
fresh
storytelling
techniques,
funnier
gags
and
laughing
all
the
way
to
the
bank
with
soaring
TRPs.
The
demand
for
light-hearted
shows
can
be
estimated
from
the
fact
that
Comedy
Circus
is
in
its
16th
season
and
has
also
entered
the
Limca
Book
of
Records
for
being
the
longest
running
reality
comedy
series.
If
that
is
not
enough,
stand-up
comedian
Kapil
Sharma's
show
has
caught
the
fancy
of
non-traditional
GEC-viewers
and
it
has
been
extended
owing
to
its
popularity,
while
SAB
TV
has
dedicated
itself
to
just
comedy
shows.
"The
audience
wants
to
laugh
and
this
is
why
the
trend
of
comedy
shows
is
on
a
high
on
TV," said
Kapil,
host
and
producer
of
Colors'
Comedy
Nights
With
Kapil.
"I'm
the
same
Kapil
who
is
doing
comedy
on
Indian
TV
since
many
years.
But
the
only
difference
is
that
I'm
selling
comedy
in
a
new
way
and
this
is
what
people
are
enjoying.
My
comedy
is
not,
my
packaging
is
new,"
Sharma
told.
His
show
boasts
of
top
Bollywood
celebrities
and
an
audience
full
of
youths
as
he
focusses
on
issues
which
affect
the
common
man.
It's
true
that
Shekhar
Suman's
once
cult
show
"Movers
&
Shakers" had
an
almost
similar
vein
-
he
too
picked
up
issues
concerning
the
common
man,
but
there's
something
definitely
new
about
Comedy
Nights
With
Kapil.
TV
also
offers
a
platform
in
a
big
way
to
stand-up
comedians
-
Raju
Srivastava,
Bharti
Singh,
Sudesh
Lahiri,
Krushna
Abhishek
and
Sunil
Pal,
to
name
just
a
few.
As
far
as
heartwarming
dramedies
are
concerned,
the
1980s
and
1990s
saw
many
-
Yeh
Jo
Hai
Zindagi,
Dekh
Bhai
Dekh,
Hum
Paanch,
Flop
Show,
Shrimaan
Shrimati,
Zabaan
Sambhalke,
Office
Office,
Tu
Tu
Main
Main,
Yes
Boss
and
Sarabhai
Vs
Sarabhai.
Cut
to
the
2000s.
Shows
like
Khichdi,
F.I.R.,
Malini
Iyer,
Kareena
Kareena,
Comedy
Circus,
The
Great
Indian
Comedy
Show,
The
Great
Indian
Laughter
Challenge,
Lapataganj
and
Taarak
Mehta
Ka
Ooltah
Chashmah
cut
through
the
clutter
of
saas-bahu
melodrama
to
give
TV
viewers
bouts
of
laughter.
With
loads
of
fun
and
clean
content,
the
comedy
makes
for
a
viable
family-viewing
experience.
Actor-producer
J.D.
Majethia
of
Khichdi
fame
believes
the
space
for
comedy
shows
has
grown
manifold
over
the
years
and
it
is
pleasant
to
witness
the
boom
in
the
number
and
kind
of
sitcoms
and
how
they
have
entered
the
weekend
programming.
The
direction
in
which
comedy
is
heading
on
the
small
screen
is
"perfect",
says
producer
Asit
Modi,
known
for
the
much-loved
Taarak
Mehta....
However,
it
is
a
difficult
genre,
and
sustaining
its
charm
requires
special
skills.
"We
need
actors
and
writers
with
special
skills
for
comedy.
Everyone
can't
make
people
laugh.
India
lacks
adequate
creative
talent
for
comedy.
There's
scarcity,
and
so
the
scope
of
the
genre
is
limited.
Moreover,
to
do
clean
comedy
for
TV
is
even
tougher," Modi
told.
His
Taarak
Mehta...
has
been
running
successfully
for
over
five
years,
and
it
has
crossed
the
1,200-episode
mark.
"New
ideas
from
new
people
always
help.
As
long
as
you
give
freshness
and
variety,
things
will
work,"
explained
Modi,
who
also
added
that
the
basic
ingredients
of
a
good
show
are
"a
good
story"
and
"a
promise
to
entertain
the
audience".
Majethia
too
is
all
for
keeping
up
with
times.
He
said:
"When
we
don't
wear
the
clothes
that
we
used
to
wear
years
ago,
or
even
live
the
life
we
used
to
back
then,
why
must
we
be
served
the
same
content
on
TV?
New
times
demand
new
things."
Perhaps,
that's
what
he
is
targeting
through
his
new
show,
reportedly
titled
Bh
Se
Bhade,
featuring
ace
comedian
Deven
Bhojani.
IANS