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When comedy shows like Comedy Circus and Laughter Challenge appeared on television,they came to be associated with Hasya Kavita. Humorous poetry entered people’s homes and Ehsaan Qureshi and Raju Shrivastav became celebrities. But it isn’t television that has helped their cause,say the poets. “What is shown on TV are just chutkule (quick humour) and not poetry,” Kale says,adding,“Our language has become more colloquial but it has maintained its inherent beauty. We have diversified our topics and that has worked to our benefit.” Kale has also written a book – Baton Baton Mein – which records the changes that the genre has undergone in the last 10 years. She has interviewed 22 poets from across the country to get their viewpoint.

Ghanshyam Agarwal,a hasya kavi from Akola,says,“A couple of years back,we realised that the quality of our writing had come under the overpowering effect of the quick humour of popular television shows. The writing was diluted,and this showed at Hasya Kavi Sammelans. The positive outcome of TV shows was that it opened up doors for us. We now get contracts and offers for international shows.” Kale agrees as she describes one international show that she attended in August last year. “I addressed a gathering of 1000 people in Los Angeles and recited poetry mingled with humour,which got a terrific response,” she says.

On his blog,51-year-old Surendra Dubey from Jaipur regularly uploads his latest poems. Kale’s website too is up-to-date and also has an audio clip of her poetry recital. Their keen response to changing communication methods is perhaps the greatest change in the working of their community. Earlier they would come up with poems on the spot and fail to record their work,but now they not only upload their work online but also stay connected to their surrounding. Dubey says,“Our compositions today are not about some obscure event. They are about the most current of issues.”

Nagpur-based kavi Neeraj Vyas acknowledges this change and adds,“Though what we see on television isn’t exactly Hasya Kavita,yet the shows have benefited our business. Earlier,a hasya kavi would earn R 500 a show; today the fees can go up to R 75,000 to a lakh.”

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