It's no laughing matter!

The proverb in our language, "Laughter brings harm in four ways", speaks of such types of irrelevant laughter 'Laughter � the best medicine,' "He who laughs lasts" and so on were well-known features in some magazines. They were so very interesting that I first used to read them before going to other pages. There are quite a good variety of manifestations of that emotion among the people, particularly among the persons in conspicuous positions of public life. Giggle, smile and laughter are all different grades, depending upon the person and the circumstances leading to that situation. Some are very jovial and they laugh in season and out of season and not much note is taken of such people. The proverb in our language, "Laughter brings harm in four ways", speaks of such types of irrelevant laughter. Popular film director of films with very enjoyable humor, late Jandhyala used to say that hearty laughter is a blessing and absence of it is a malady. "Navvadam Oka Yogam, navvaleka povadam oka Rogam," Famous Cartoonists R.K. Lakshman and Shankar have never let go any opportunity to expose the politicians who were conspicuous by either absence of it or too much of it in lighter vein. When Shankar called it a day and closed his popular 'Shankar's weekly he said that he was doing it as there was no scope of any humor during 'Emergency'. He caricatured Nehru hundreds of times in his inimitable style and it must be said to the good-humored nature of Nehru that he enjoyed them heartily. R.K.Lakshman's 'You said it', was a class by itself of that genre of Cartoons and none ever thought of taking legal action against him like our temperamental Mamata Banerjee who filed a case against a Cartoonist who portrayed her in a manner not to her liking. We have in our own state, two leaders, who ruled the state for some time in their own way, who are both diametrically opposite to each other, Chandrababu Naidu and Rajasekhara Reddy. There are any number of Cartoons and write-ups, about Naidu as one who is serious, glum and never indulged in smiling, let alone hearty laughter. As quite a contrast Reddy was known for his boisterous laughter quite often and earned the reputation for 'king-size' ear to ear smile. Dressed alike in their famous 'Padayatras' they enlivened the atmosphere all through by their contrasting gimmicks of one-upmanship. In his brief spell as Chief Minister NT Rama Rao, was quite different from all others as he brought to his position great talent as actor and he donned many roles and dresses in political life also with perfect ease. He had floored the audiences more by his histrionics than by his convincing arguments. Among Journalists, we have in Khushwant Singh, a rare type of human being, who could laugh at himself with smutty jokes and could call his popular column, with malice towards all," and get away with it for a long time. Anyway, whatever anyone thinks of 96 year old Singh, he made a fortune by publishing his bawdy jokes in a number of books. At the national level we have in Manmohan Singh perfect counterpart of Naidu with many interesting common factors between them. I wonder whether anybody has seen his smile at all, let alone bursting into laughter. One missed becoming a Prime Minister by offering it to Gujral on a platter, as he himself rues once in a way. The other came to occupy that high office when it was offered to him by his mentor who sacrificed it in keeping with the family tradition! Incidentally, she too was very serious and far from indulging in laughter, a lesser mortal's spontaneous expression of feelings. Recently, God alone knows for what reason she burst into a very loud guffaw, with wide-opened mouth from ear to ear and the only other person in the photograph published a few weeks ago in a popular monthly from the Capital was none other than our revered 'Mouni Baba' and even at that moment, he kept his cool and there was not even a slight giggle in his face. There is a national leader, a complete contrast to her in every respect, Sushma Swaraj. With her Chubby face, she has built-in-smile like a child. Even when she is lam basting the Govt. on something or other in the Parliament she wears the same expression. The other day when Bansal was struggling to utter the names of some cities in AP while presenting the Railway Budget, She was chuckling and the media repeatedly focused on her on one side and the other, Sonia Gandhi and Man Mohan Singh, sitting with glum faces. Shakespeare had a dig at both types of people in a wonderful way. In 'Julius Ceaser' while Ceaser was proceeding to the Senate, he sees Cassio in the group and tells Antony that he never liked him. "He never smiles, and if he does, it looks as though he mocks at himself". He also says that he is lean and hungry, looking and such men are dangerous. "Let me have around me fat men" he says. In 'Hamlet', speaking about his uncle Claudius he says, "One can smile and smile and still be a villain. At least, it is so in Denmark!"