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HT Brunch Game Show: Which celebrity takes a joke on themselves best?
The one who has a conversation about it, the star who laughs it off, or the one who simply appreciates the humour?
Abhishek Banerjee, 34, Actor
What’s the funniest joke you heard about yourself?
An airport security team joked that I carry weapons in my bags (like the character he played in Paatal Lok).
Which joke made you feel bad but you kept a stoic face?
Someone said my face is only fit for comedy.
How did you get over it?
By doing dark roles like Hathoda Tyagi.
What joke would offend you?
Those against the differently-abled.
What’s the funniest joke you’ve cracked about yourself?
It’s actually a joke about me that someone else had cracked, which used to make me feel bad.
Which celeb’s sense of humour do you like?
Shah Rukh Khan. He shows respect and still cracks witty jokes.
Your favourite stand-up comedian?
Vipul Goyal for his clean jokes.
What do you do if your joke offends someone?
I would think of a comeback for hours.
Shilpa Rao, 38, Musician and singer
What’s the funniest joke you heard about yourself?
Meiyang Chang told me I should wear a T-shirt that says ‘I am Shilpa Rao’.
A joke where you felt bad but kept a stoic face?
I would rather have a conversation than keep a stoic face.
How did you get over it?
Knowing that everyone is human and can err.
What joke would offend you?
Mocking someone’s uniqueness.
What’s the funniest joke you’ve cracked about yourself?
That I know everything, musically. (I’m still learning!)
Which celeb’s sense of humour do you like?
Pankaj Tripathi and Manoj Bajpayee. They make everything look light-hearted.
Your favourite stand-up comedian?
Vir Das, for showing us what we are.
What do you do if your joke offends someone?
Apologise, and learn from what I did wrong.
Adarsh Gourav, 27, Actor
What’s the funniest joke you heard about yourself?
Relatives when I was a kid would tell my cousins, “how tall you’ve grown!”, but ask me, “what will you eat?” as I was the shortest!
Which joke made you feel bad but you kept a stoic face?
None. I try not to take things too seriously.
How did you get over it?
I laugh it off.
What joke would offend you?
If something like a death has occurred, a joke is in poor taste.
What’s the funniest joke you’ve cracked about yourself?
A guy wanted a selfie because he was a huge fan of my show, “Tiger King”. I said yes and thanked him for being a fan!
Which celeb’s sense of humour do you like?
Farhan Akhtar and SRK for their wit.
Your favourite stand-up comedian?
Ricky Gervais.
What do you do if your joke offends someone?
Apologise and move on. Don’t justify it.
And the winner is…Abhishek Banerjee
“Celebrate humanity by laughing at your flaws”
“I am drawn to Abhishek’s approach to humour the most, in particular his use of the callback with regard to his face being best suited for comedy roles. Also, his self-deprecating wit and appreciation of the same is endearing,” says Papa CJ.
“Perfection is exhausting. If you can learn to embrace authenticity, you’ll realise that every human has flaws, and the best approach towards them is to be able to laugh about them. After all, what better way to celebrate your humanity? There is no single answer to what one shouldn’t joke about—it is entirely contextual and varies person to person. Offense has to do with intent. If people understand that your intention is benevolent, they are rarely offended,” he adds.
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From HT Brunch, June 11, 2022
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