Political comic Manjeet Sarkar: Comedy makes politics less scary

Manjeet Sarkar

Political stand-up comic Manjeet Sarkar believes that with changing trends of protests, the one thing that has stayed constant is humour. "Every generation finds its own language of resistance, shaped by its pop culture, art, and the way people communicate. The one thing that has stayed constant is humour," he says. While earlier protests relied on catchy slogans and placards, today's youth instinctively communicate through memes and Reels because those are the spaces they inhabit.

"This is not a calculated strategy to make protests more impactful. It is simply how they naturally express themselves." Sarkar argues that comedy succeeds where political rhetoric often struggles because it lowers people's defences. "Comedy naturally helps people engage with subjects that might otherwise feel heavy, uncomfortable or boring. That's true for politics as much as anything else." Social media, he adds, has only amplified humour's reach, allowing political satire to travel far beyond the protest site.

To him, the rise of meme-led dissent reflects a broader generational shift in political participation. "Laughter is often a more effective way to process difficult realities than anger. It makes people connect with political ideas because it can be less intimidating." Even those who are not deeply invested in a cause can find themselves drawn into the conversation through humour. "It creates a shared feeling and a sense of connection, keeps conversations going and often has a longer-lasting impact than outrage alone."