Comedians pay a tribute to Charlie Chaplin

Legendary actor and filmmaker

Charlie Chaplin

had famously said, “Nothing is permanent in this wicked world — not even our troubles.” And, as the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic, most people would try to find meaning and hope in the artiste’s words. Over the years, Chaplin’s comic genius has inspired artistes across the globe. Today, on the occasion of the legend’s 131st birth anniversary, BT talks to Indian

stand-up

comedians about their favourite Chaplin film and how he continues to inspire them.

He spent hours to get a two-minute scene right: Amit Tandon
It is said that Charlie Chaplin gave around 200 takes to get the lion cage scene right in The Circus (1928). He spent so much time and effort to get a two-minute scene right. As an artiste, I aspire to have that level of commitment.

Chaplin didn’t need a punchline to make people laugh: Naveen Polishetty
One always looks for a punchline to make a comedy scene work, but Mr Chaplin never needed it. He made people laugh with his silences, slapstick comedy and his body movements. The roller-skating scene in

Modern Times

is among my favourites. It requires a special set of skills to make people laugh universally.

Chaplin executed every scene uniquely: Ashish Chanchlani
Chaplin was not just a comedian, but also a master filmmaker. The scene of the mirror maze in The Circus was executed with great precision. The fact that he thought of such a scene at that time amazes me. In fact, he executed every scene uniquely.

His movies remain relevant even today:

Gursimran Khamba

My favourite Chaplin film is

The Great Dictator

(1940). It was one of the first movies I saw as part of a film programme, and it’s amazing to see how relevant it remains even today. Hopefully, we’ll be able to make political satire like that someday.

Chaplin taught us to find humour in sad situations: Anuvab Pal
Chaplin’s silent film Modern Times (1936), which is about the struggles people face every day to survive, is one of my all-time favourites. Chaplin taught us to find humour even in sad situations, like the one we are living through today.