'You can't cross the laxman rekha of decency'

'Whenever I prepare a joke for my performances I always have the family in mind: Would any member of the family feel offended by my joke?'
'If the answer is yes, I immediately drop it.'

The laughter has gone out of our lives.

Raju Srivastav was to stand-up comedy what Virat Kohli is to cricket. Single-handed, Raju raised the standards of stand-up comedy in our country to an art form.

When I last spoke to Raju he was not happy with what's being done to the hoary art.

"Stand-up comedy is all about getting hits on YouTube. In the mad scamper for hits, young boys and girls in the stand-up business are crossing limits. Any and every thing is a brunt of a so-called joke. But you can't disrespect any national leader or anyone's religion. I always say, practice your own religion, but respect all religions."

Raju was dismayed to see today's stand-up comedian bringing politics and religion on stage. "If you insult any respected figure some people may laugh to be polite. But they will never invite you home."

"My testing ground is the family audience. Whenever I prepare a joke for my stage performances I always have the family in mind: Would any member of the family feel offended by my joke. If the answer is yes, I immediately drop it."

Raju, who was a comic virtuoso for 20 years, felt comedy must change with the times, though not at the cost of good taste. "You can't cross the laxman rekha of decency. Of course I'm aware times have changed. Earlier subjects like the menstrual cycle were taboo. Now they're openly discussed."

"Nonetheless stand-comedians should not forget where they come from. We are Indians, so please don't imitate American stand-up comedians."

Raju's brand of comedy got him into trouble only once. "Once, only once. And I am not the least embarrassed about it. I had taken a series of potshots at (26/11 terrorist Ajmal) Kasab. After that I started getting death threats from Dubai. I had the police guarding me for three months. Finally I asked them to leave assuring them I can look after myself."

"Death threats for jokes is nothing new. But there is a difference between joking about Kasab and a national leader. The audiences' sensitivities cannot be overlooked."

The man who could generate laughter out of the absurdities of life is no more.