Explained: How with films like Kanjoos Makkhichoos, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 & Hera Pheri 3, the genre of comedy is back

Comedy is a genre that can be both diverse and severely limited. In the last few years, we have seen an onslaught of small-town comedies with the laughing material buried under the heaps of social messaging; or is it the other way round? Ayushmann Khurrana is the one actor who has consistently championed the art of playing complex characters with a certain amount of glee and glitter. And his films are driven by the desire to entertain and not merely educate. Vicky Donor (2012) spoke about an issue as unheard as sperm donation, Bala (2019) focuses on how to embrace imperfections, both physical and emotional, and Doctor G was about a male gynecologist in a woman’s world. All of them dared to explore themes waiting to be discovered, accompanied by sharp humor and witty writing, and the actor and his characters accomplished the uphill task of wooing the audience with their audacity. And then there are comedies derived out of helplessness, like Kunal Kemmu’s rollicking Lootcase (2020) or the recent _Kanjoos Makkhichoos_. The impoverished lifestyle gets on a man’s nerves and he dares to challenge and change his destiny, of course, with major conflicts and challenges on the way.

The most classic example can be Priyadarshan’s unforgettable _Hera Pheri_, where three men chance upon a wrong number that takes their slumbered fortunes in the right direction. In the sequel, which was more slapstick than smart, the three men’s greed stayed intact, or rather quadrupled, and they were back to where it all began for them. Part three is coming up after nearly 18 years, and things have changed far more dramatically off screen than they have on it. The post-pandemic era has somewhat made the audiences allergic to watching socially-driven and aware cinema (in all possible genres) in cinemas. They want _Pathaan_, they want KGF, they want Kantara, they want spectacle and senselessness, and soaring expectations from every possible juggernaut. Amid all this, it’s actually good to see breathers like Happy Family: Conditions Apply, Ghar Wapsi, and Gullak. These are shows that create beauty out of ordinariness, and their milieu feels organic and not ornamental. For the big screen, we have _Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2_ to please the box-office, and part three of the horror-comedy coming up on Diwali 2024.

It seems fair if we can allow comedy, cacophony, and charisma to peacefully co-exist. Of course, there (still) will be blood, but let’s have some breathers too. They don’t say laughter is the best medicine for any reason.

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