Sunday turned out to be a hilarious day for the sparse audience at Thummalapallivari Kalakshetram here when they relished the jokes show organised by Sumadhura Kala Niketan as part of three-day annual humour playlet competitions.
Jokes narrated by contestants, mostly senior citizens, with humour and sarcasm evoked peels of laughter from the appreciative audience. Braving morning sudden showers, contestants as well as audience thronged the venue to enjoy the show. A good number of jokes, rendered by the contestants, highlighted the quarrels between couples received loud applause from viewers.
A joke narrated on the calls made by telly callers on mobile phone was one of the highlights in the event. A humorous conversation between a school teacher and students narrating a Telugu poem had the audience in splits.
In all, 20 contestants hailing from Vizianagaram, Kurnool, Hyderabad and Vijayawada took part in the event. A woman G. Kanaka Durga also participated in the show.
“The best part of the show that most of the participants were above 50 years and they realise the importance of laugher for long life. The absence of youngsters is certainly of a concern,” said Sumadhura Kala Niketan secretary Vijaya Bhaskar Sarma. Cultural programmes were also organised as part of the show. A folk dance presented by schoolchildren left everyone spellbound.
Organisers presented mementoes to the first prize winner Jogeswara Rao, second prize receiver S. Sriram Murthy and third prize winner N.V. Yogesh Babu. In the evening, organisers presented Jandhyala memorial award to Tanikella Bharani for his outstanding contribution for stage and cinema field.
