The first day of the Hasya Rang Utsav 2024 at the Kamani Auditorium opened with an outburst of laughter and celebration in the heart of the nation’s Capital. The three-day event of humour and entertainment aims to present the best in comic talent in plays and stand up. It started with a bang on January 2 and will continue until January 4, 2024. The Chief Guest for the evening, Saurabh Bhardwaj, Minister of Arts, Culture, and Language, Delhi Government, honoured the occasion and set the stage for a spectacular festival filled with humour.
“Delhi is currently blessed with pleasant weather, and in this climate Delhi’s cultural and tourism ministry are organising a number of vibrant events. These events showcase a diverse spectrum of colours, including laughter (hasya), poetry (kavya), verses (sher-o-shayari), classical music, classical dance, and thumri. December witnessed a different array of events, and the upcoming January promises to be equally entertaining. Over the next three days, the Kamani Auditorium will host a laughter-filled comedy festival, providing an engaging experience for the audience”, he said.
On the first day, Ahsaan Qureshi’s hilarious stand-up comedy act wowed the crowd with his unique Shayari-style comedy during his performance at Hasya Rang Utsav. The Great Indian Laughter Challenge runner-up demonstrated his comic prowess by skillfully incorporating a variety of political and social satires into his performance. His unique ability to blend humour with insightful commentary provided a refreshing perspective on contemporary issues, making the audience both laugh and reflect. This was followed by the drama “Mera Pati Salman Khan,” which was written by Umesh Pandey, directed by Raj Upadhayay, and performed by the highly talented Navras Theatre Group. The play unravels the comedic chaos as two friends reunite, spinning a web of exaggeration about their husbands’ handsomeness, wealth, and luxury lifestyles.
The comedy mayhem that surrounded society norms and exaggerations of riches and lifestyles was explored in the play. ‘Hakim.com,’ a humorous play directed by Fahad Khan and penned by Akbar Quadri, carried on the road of laughter. The performance kept the audience immensely amused while shining light on societal complexities through its comedic exploration of the conflict between traditional and contemporary medical methods.
The journey of laughter will continue on January 3rd and 4th as well. On day two, witness the rib-tickling comedy of renowned comedian Rajat Sood, India’s Laughter Champion. The evening progresses with the delightful play ‘Hayee Padosan,’ by Priyanka Sharma, followed by the timeless classic ‘Zindagi Once More,’ directed by Shuddho Banerjee, scripted by Badal Sircar, and translated by Nandini Banerjee. Day three promises more laughter with Raja Rancho from The Great Indian Laughter Challenge 2, featuring the comedy script ‘Bingar Ki Joru’ by Ravi Taneja and ‘Andhere Mein’ directed by Sunil Rawat and written by Pratap Sehgal, reaching the festival’s grand finale.
In addition, On Friday, the 5th of January, experience an evening of laughter with the renowned Sunil Grover, the renowned Gutthi of the “Comedy Nights with Kapil”.
On the concluding
evening of the ‘Laughter Weekend’ on Saturday, 6th January, immerse yourself in the Hasya Kavi Samelan featuring Ashok Chakradhar, Arun Gemini, and other eminent poets.
