For young people, the Internet offers many platforms for self-expression, and in the past few years, comedy is emerging as one of the fastest growing genres.
Only Much Louder, a media manager, thus launched its “Comedy Hunt” on YouTube three months ago. The judges and mentors were Internet comedy veterans like Kanan, Biswa, Aditi Mittal, Abish Matthew and Jose Covaco.
Democratic platformThe contest provided a platform for aspiring Internet comedians, democratising access to media and providing ample incentives.
The Web hunt saw enthusiastic participation with more than 1,500 entries from over 60 cities. Participants had to complete witty weekly challenges from news comedy to filming in unusual locations, experimenting with various formats.
From a shortlist of 40 entries, five finalists were selected. The talented duo of Random Chikibum emerged as the winner for their “consistently funny videos and fresh talent”, mentor Biswa Kalyan Rath says.
For Gursimran Khamba, another mentor from All India Bakchod, it was exciting to “help usher in the next generation of YouTube creators”. The broad participation is indicative that younger audiences are looking at and creating un-formulaic content. The entries on the recent bans on pornography, meat and noodles show that comedy is a powerful tool to engage with our everyday lives and democracy.
