There're only cheap jokes on television - Naveen

Naveen Prabhakar shot to fame as a comedian on the show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. The words 'Pehchan Kaun" became synonymous with him and gave him a unique identity. But the comedian is disillusioned by the current trend in comedy shows on television.

In a one-on-one conversation with TellyCafe, Navin says, “I have said no to comedy altogether. The level has degraded and there are only vulgarity and cheap jokes in the name of comic performances. I have to think twice before letting my kids watch these shows."

When asked about his views on the quality of jokes which the kids are sometimes made to crack, he says, “I understand that they are given sentences keeping in mind their capabilities, but it is the responsibility of the writers to keep in mind the age of these young comedians before coming up with matter for them. Little kids are being made to crack vulgar jokes, which is definitely not the right thing. I mean, how can anyone enjoy a joke on pre-marital sex coming from a little kid? They are being made to crack jokes on topics which definitely embarrass their family members and cannot be enjoyed by kids of the same age group, so what"s the use?"

Prabhakar said that he is proud of the fact that kids gifted with extraordinary talent have taken up stand-up comedy as a serious genre, but it is also very important to keep their innocence intact. Their childhood should not be compromised for the sake of their performance.