From roasts to reels: A walk through India's comedy scene over the years

Mint

31-05-2025

In my first or second year of college, I stumbled upon stand-up comedy for the first time. And not just any kind — it was roast comedy that was all the rage back then (especially among teenagers trying very hard to seem edgy). The infamous AIB Knockout featuring Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor had just gone viral. It was controversial, chaotic, and loud — and, in hindsight, probably not the most talked-about introduction to a centuries-old art form. Until then, comedy, for most of us, had lived in movie scenes, sitcoms, and Govinda-level one-liners. But here was something different: a person, alone on stage, mic in hand, speaking to a room full of strangers — and somehow, with nothing but their words, managing to make everyone laugh till their stomachs hurt. It was thrilling.
After the roast we discovered a flurry of AIB content — song parodies with Bollywood stars like Alia Bhatt, Irrfan Khan, and Kangana Ranaut; their iconic 'Honest' series (the Honest Indian Weddings one still holds up); and of course, actual stand-up clips that introduced us to new, raw voices. One of them was Zakir Khan — Sakht Launda — who didn't just tell jokes but told stories, pulling audiences in with his heartbreaks, nostalgia, and that unbeatable Indori charm. He wasn't trying to be someone else — he was just being himself, and that made all of us feel a little more seen. I still haven't seen him live, but it's high up on the bucket list.
As time passed, comedy — or at least my relationship with it — evolved. Instagram slowly went from being a photo-sharing app to the video vortex that is 'reels' today. We found ourselves watching sketch after sketch, voiceover after voiceover, with creators like Kusha Kapila making us laugh daily with characters like Billi Maasi (those iDiva days were gold). Then came the YouTubers — Bhuvan Bam, for example, who didn't just rely on punchlines but built entire worlds playing multiple characters, switching accents, expressions, and outfits with almost zero-budget setups and insane editing skills. The comedy wasn't just funny — it was creative. And it showed us what you could do when you blended humour with heart and hustle.
Of course, the AIB era came crashing down around six years ago, following allegations of sexual misconduct on the core members that left the comedy scene shaken and introspective. It was disheartening, to say the least. But while the collective dissolved, some individuals — like Tanmay Bhat — managed to ride out the storm. Today, his reaction videos (especially the ones with friends and fellow creators, the OG gang) are some of the most-loved content online. There's something wholesome about watching someone just react with joy, sarcasm, or straight-up astonishment to content we already enjoy — it feels like watching things with your funniest friend.
While the journey has been a bit stained here and there, I'm just glad we're all still laughing through it.
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That's all for this week!
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