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Journalism of Courage
Amid the political tensions between India and Pakistan, a light-hearted moment from a stand-up comedy show has caught the Internet’s attention. A video that has gone viral shows comedian Gaurav Gupta roasting a Pakistani fan during his US-Canada tour.
Gupta began his current North America tour on May 30 in Atlanta, followed by a show in Chicago. Posting a clip from one of his performances, he showed a spontaneous interaction with a Pakistani fan. In the video, the comedian appears momentarily surprised to see someone from Pakistan in the audience. As some members of the crowd began shouting “Sindoor” – referring to India’s recent military action, Operation Sindoor, against terrorist outfits in Pakistan – the comedian quickly addressed them, saying, “Behave, behave.”
Turning his attention to the Pakistani guest, he asked his name and whether he could follow the jokes. When the man responded affirmatively, Gupta said, “Toh tumhe samajh nahi aata? Nahi milega tumhe. Itne saalon se keh rahe hain nahi milega, nahi milega. Phir aa jaate ho tum. (So you don’t understand? You won’t get it. We’ve been saying it for years. You still keep coming.)”
The witty line, ostensibly referring to the Kashmir issue, sparked laughter from the audience. Not missing a chance to appreciate the Pakistani fan for attending the show, Gupta added, “Brother, you have the guts to come here,” he says, sparking applause and laughter. He further says, “He thought artists were banned, but the audience is still allowed!”
Towards the end of the clip, Gupta wraps it up with another humorous jab, “Chalo ab Hanuman Chalisa sunao! (Now, recite the Hanuman Chalisa!),” leaving the audience laughing out loud.
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The video amassed an array of reactions, with a user commenting, “He was hesitating while roasting him, but he still did it gracefully.” Another user wrote, “You kept the audience to behave while also getting them to have fun… things can go so wrong in such situations… you handled it beautifully.”
“So disappointed. He could have used this opportunity to celebrate in a positive manner. What he did was used back handed comedy. Disappointed,” a third user reacted.
