Their punchline: Laugh and let laugh, you die laughing

BANGALORE: It was a Sunday. A high-octane IPL match was on just a stone's throw away. But a couple of hundred Bangaloreans preferred the confines of the amphitheatre at Rangoli Art Centre, M G Road. For the PunchTantraa was putting up a radical mime comedy show amid a laughter riot.
PunchTantraa, for whom 'comedy is the mantra... seriously!!', knows that laughter is, after all, infectious.The group began by offering the stage to a talented bunch among the audience. Five amateur artistes sought to tickle the funny bone of the audience before the mavens came into the picture.
A diverse group of 21 young Bangaloreans — some doctors, a few engineers and others techies — PunchTantraa is taking their love for the funny to an altogether new level. The jocular group who have staged over 25 ticketed Radical Mime shows since its inception two years ago, ensure some members from the audience perform before them during their first Sunday show every month.
"Laughter is a very neutral emotion. Some fancy horror, some action, but laughter is a language we all enjoy. Given the pressures of modern-day existence, people are usually depressed. Humour is our best bet," says Avinash Meda, a PunchTantraa core committee member and senior software engineer with SAP Labs.
PunchTantraa borrows from India's fabled tradition and packs in their USP punch lines, to drive home the message. They believe comedy can entertain as well as be purposeful. Everything, from parking woes to garbage to traffic mess to auto menace, becomes a subject matter for these merchants of mirth.
A typical Radical Mime performance comprises acts that spend very less time to set a context; they plunge into the main theme and climax soon after, before moving on to the next act. "What Twenty20 is to cricket, Radical Mime is to theatre and, within that, comedy is our forte," says the proud team members.
One of their latest 'out-of-the-box' gags goes like this: World over, brooms are used for cleaning. But in India brooms are used to clean dosa tavas, ward off evil spirits and as a weapon. And recently, even a political party made it their symbol!
The group puts up public and corporate shows (by invitation, mostly annual-day events in IT firms). Stage shows at the Rangoli Metro Art Centre are extremely popular. The KH Kala Soudha, Hanumanthnagar, is another favourite arena with these guys. Till date, the group has put up close to eight shows.
"Our perspectives on any issue are as diverse as our backgrounds. Our shows have something for every section of society," says Ashank Bhandari, a software engineer working with HP.
Their forte
PunchTantraa specializes in a few variants of radical mime - mad-ads and movie spoofs being the biggest draws. Mad-ads pick a popular advertisement, make a few changes to the idea and give it a funny spin. Movie Spoofs are 'remakes' of popular movies enacted funnily. The movie's essence is retained but the climax is spiced up. And the notable this is, no props are used on stage.
Quotes
PunchTantraa Magic
This is a great platform for me. I have performed in their shows four times, and every time the audience reaction was different. My network has grown and now I get invitations to perform at events in Bangalore
Rajashekhar Mamidanna | comedian from Hyderabad
In the nostalgia segment, I get to connect with my childhood. I get a good dose of laughter from these refreshing shows. Most importantly, each show is different from the other and the content is very entertaining
-- Neha Chugh, IT professional
They talk of issues like politics and traffic woes; issues we can connect to. And they portray it through light humour. Everyone can enjoy their shows and it's great to catch them live
-- Shashikant S Bhat, stock investor