Comedy and diplomacy intertwined during a recent State Department-sponsored comedy tour of India by three Indian-American stand-up comedians, reports News India Times.<\/p>\n
For the \u201cMake Chai Not War\u201d tour, which took place Jan. 4-17, Rajiv Satyal, Hari Kondabolu and Azhar Usman visited Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Patna, Kolkata, Durgapur and Mumbai in an effort to ease tensions and bring some laughter to sensitive issues such as religion, politics, and the caste system.<\/p>\n
Each comedian brought his own distinct background as an American of South Asian origin to bear.<\/p>\n
Hailing from different backgrounds and religions \u2013 Usman is a Muslim, while Satyal and Kondabolu are Hindus \u2013 their material reflected their upbringing. The three also have distinct styles \u2013 Satyal covers social topics in a logical way, Kondabolu breaks down complex political and racial issues in a way the audience can relate and Usman shares stories and life philosophies dissecting how Muslims are perceived.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s nice to be in India. It’s a totally different vibe here,\u201d Usman told the audience. \u201cWhen I walk down the street in the United States, I get dirty looks \u2026 for being a Muslim. So over here, it’s kinda nice to be \u2026 hated just for being an American.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an India that they found to be \u201cnothing like what their parents left behind,\u201d the three saw a chance to break away from American racial politics.<\/p>\n
In America, they said, it’s hard not to be classified into a certain category \u2013 \u201cIndian,\u201d \u201cbrown\u201d etc. \u2013 their personal goal is to \u201cshed identities and be the best comedian,\u201d Usman said. Satyal added his mantra is \u201cto chose your label, define your path and run your own race.\u201d<\/p>\n
Usman told News India Times, \u201cThe show started out as an attempt to foster relationships between Hindus and Muslims.\u201d It began in 2007, when Usman and Satyal performed at Georgetown University to a mostly Hindu and Muslim audience. The State Department took notice the following year after a sold-out show in nearby Arlington, VA.<\/p>\n
The tour in India presented additional challenges.<\/p>\n
Their trip to India was touted as a diplomatic and political mission. \u201cIt’s hard enough being a comedian,\u201d Kondabolu said, but then to strike the balance between being humorous and delivering the message of bonhomie was a Herculean challenge.<\/p>\n
Satyal concurred, but clarified that \u201cthe goals of the State Department weren’t necessarily our goals.\u201d He said the comedians were focused on their gags and commended officials for allowing them a free rein. \u201cWe were invited as artists, and since the premise of a tour like this is that we are comedians, we could say what we wanted,\u201d he told News India Times.<\/p>\n