THE ECONOMY & COMEDIANS

I do not understand my instincts nowadays to link almost everything I see changing around me to the economic superstardom of India. A case in point is our entertainment industry. It can be looked at from several vantage points but I tend to look at it through the prism of our scorchingly growing national economy and rising international stature. Though the inflation blues have dampened our spirits and made life tougher for the common citizen, the creativity of our entertainment sector continues to be on a roll. It all began with the boom in satellite TV channels. 'The Great Laughter Challenge' heralded a new era of innovative 'comedy shows' that made us rediscover our funny bones. This creative explosion churned out bright comedians hailing from almost every corner of India. I suspect India may soon come to be known as a 'country of comedians' rather than snake charmers and saints. I think the spate of comedy shows on various channels have made comedy a solid and dependable vocation. And thanks to the Western-style economic change and technological advances (we no longer need to stand in long queues to pay telephone and electricity bills), the Indians have got all the time to hook on to their TV sets. As an evening falls, our TVs are turned on and the funny bones begin to tickle transporting us away from the absurdities of a hectic work day. It does not take an economist to conclude that economic advancement leads to a well-rounded development of a society and a nation. When a comedian from Kanpur or Chandrapur launches an offical website, we can't help but to believe the trickle down effect of rising national income. Isn't it an example of distributive justice? Can we still say globalization and liberalization have only made the rich richer?May this 'upside' of a growing economy is not confined to entertainment and arts only but percolate down to our politics and governance also.