WHEN national television was in a nascent stages in the 1980s, a comedy called Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi made audiences sit up in delight. With rib-tickling dialogues and crackling performances, the show notched up higher ratings than the popular soap Hum Log at a time when television was a luxury. Its success saw the rise of other comedies in the years to follow —Dekh Bhai Dekh, Tu Tu Main Main, Zabaan Sambhal Ke, Yes Boss and Office Office. But despite big successes, comedies always remained a neglected genre in India.

So what ails them? Is it the lack of skills, good scripts, actors or the channel’s unwillingness to experiment? Are we no longer a humour-loving nation? “There are no comedy writers in the country and daily soaps have become a selling point. The likes of Kundan Shah, Aziz Mirza or Basu Chatterjee, who were masters of comedy serials are not even recognised today by any channel,” says actor-director Ananth Mahadevan who debuted in the popular Ados Pados on Doordarshan in 1984. He later directed comedies such as Ghar Jamai, Chamatkar and Hera Pheri setting a benchmarks for others.

Another stalwart, Satish Shah, who last tickled our funny bone with antics in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai feels that after this no other serial has been able to live up to its expectations. “The only way a good comedy can happen is when the channel is supportive and the actors and directors draw good remuneration,” says Shah.

Comedy show producers and actors feel that the slots given to comedies on channels—namely time-bands earlier than primetime - are responsible for these serials not getting the much-coveted TRPs. “Channels want to stick to the tried-and-tested formula and want to prominently feature tear-jerkers,” feels Vandana Pathak who starred in Hum Paanch and Khichdi. “But one should take heed from a channel like Sab TV that has been able to hold its own through shows like Akting Akting and Yes Boss,” she explains.

There are enough actors who are not scared to be stereotyped as comics. “There is immense scope for talent when it comes to acting,” says actor Bhavana Balsaver of Dekh Bhai Dekh.

Overexposure to mindless comedies has made the audiences immune to quality humour. “The inane jokes mouthed by stars in films today have been recited by us in the ‘80s,” claims Mahadevan.

But on the contrary, reality comedy shows have been on the rise. “Stand-up comics are different from actors. They don’t need a good script,” smiles Pathak. Albert Almeida, business head, Sony, seconds her thought, “I think scripted comedy is not easy. We need a couple of good scripted shows and comedies will be on track again.” It also could be a classic case of opting for greener pastures. “Most good writers prefer writing for films as they think it’s more practical and less straining in the creative sense to work on short-term projects rather than writing for serials which have no specific time-line,” says Shailja Kejriwal, EVP content, NDTV Imagine.

Prem Kamat, programming head, Star, has a diverse view: “The cornerstone of entertainment is variety. Television goes through a lot of phases and the comedy phase will soon be back.”