Bollywood promises a festival of comedies...

By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service

Mumbai, (IANS) The season of

laughter is upon us with a vengeance. Thanks to the success of "No Entry", the stars and directors are ready to let their

hair down in more ways than one.

"No Entry" director Anees Bazmi is all set to direct a sequel and also an Akshay Kumar ha-ha-thon called "Welcome". In

fact Akshay Kumar will be seen in two back-to-back comedies this month-"Garam Masala" and then Vikram Bhatt's "Deewane Huey

Pagal".

David Dhawan's "Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya" and now Bazmi's "No Entry" (both coincidentally featuring Salman Khan) are roaring

hits. And everyone now seems to be planning a comedy.

These two farcical fests flag off a prolonged season of full-on laughathons. Close on the heels of these two comedies came

the no-holds-barred "Ramji Londonwale" with Tamil superstar Madhavan playing a Bihari cook's enormously risible ha-ha-jinks

on foreign shores.

Says Madhavan: "It was almost like a desi 'Crocodile Dundee'. You know the way the Australian hero went through a series

of culturally chaotic comic adventures in the US? My character goes through similar adventures in London."

Interestingly, the other senior Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan tried his hand at seriously funny satire in "Mumbai Express"

some months ago. The experiment with farce failed.

"But," Madhavan adds hastily, "'Ramji Londonwale' is written by Kamalji. He's the absolute pharaoh of farce. His lines owe

a lot to the sense of fun in 'Ramji Londonwale'."

The writing skills, or the lack of them, have always been a problem in the comedies. It looks like the kings of comedy

have discovered a formula for satirical success.

David Dhawan, whose comedy "Shaadi No. 1" released during Diwali, says: "A lot of the dialogues and writing in my last two

comedies were by me. I think we need to sharpen the satirical edges to make Hindi comedies work."

David was in competition with Priyadarshan's "Garam Masala" where Akshay Kumar and John Abraham play incorrigible

skirt-chasers.

Priyan will be back with more mirth in December in "Malaalmal Express" with the Om Puri-Paresh Rawail duo providing the

laughs.

To Priyan goes the credit for pulling Hindi comedies out of the doldrums. When comic films were considered strictly the

domain of the duds, Priyan pulled out a laugh-life called "Hera Pheri". Then came "Hungama" and "Hulchal".

Says the prolific Priyan: "I know comedies are like a rain check for me in Hindi. I can always go back to it if I fail in

the drama genre."

Anees Bazmi, who directed "No Entry", has another out-and-out comedy "Sandwich" with the original giggle master Govinda in

the lead. The film was completed long ago. It looks like Bazmi will be finally able to release it now after the success of

"No Entry".

Fardeen Khan, who has suddenly discovered his funny bone after "Khushi" and "No Entry", is currently doing a comedy "Pyare

Mohan" about male bonding with Vivek Oberoi.

Subhash Ghai is producing two comedies "Shaadi Se Pehle" and "Money Money Money", directed by Satish (funny-man) Kaushik

and Sangeeth ("Kya Kool Hain Hum") Sivan.

Never before has cinema been inundated with so many comedies within such a short time.

Says David Dhawan: "Everyone wants a good laugh. It's as therapeutic as a good cry. Providing laughter is far tougher. You

never know when the comic writing works or doesn't work. I'll always continue to do the needful."

And it looks like audiences have discovered an appetite for it.