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Laughing all the way

An evening of mirth, where people laughed about everything from bad roads to bald pates

Photo K. Ananthan

JACK OF ALL JOKES Bosskey

At the age of two, Bhaskaran inadvertently cracked his first joke. Asked if the auto rickshaw could go in `reverse', he replied in all innocence "No, it can only travel on roads."

After that sad but spontaneous wisecrack, Bhaskaran, better known as Bosskey, went on to write more than 17,000 jokes about people and their quirks.

At a recent meeting of the Humour Society, Coimbatore, he had an audience, comprising solemn doctors and prim and proper women who had previously only laughed into their handkerchiefs, rolling about with laughter.

With his shiny bald pate, and surprisingly lush moustache Bosskey, was ready to take on Dr G Lakshmipathi, president of the Humour Society, who was to grill him.

The short and rollicking repartee between the two threw light on everything from why Bosskey's pate was attracting so much light (courtesy a trip to Tirupathi, after his show Hari Giri Assembly completed 100 episodes) to the kind of person he was (an `out'standing batsman and student) and now a leg spinner-turned-leg puller.

Once Bosskey took over the stage, the laughs kept coming without a break for 45 full minutes.

Riot act

Bosskey is a bank employee (Indian Overseas Bank) and despite that he has retained his sense of humour. Not only that, he has used the experiences he has had at his work place to crack more jokes. Sample this: A customer walks in asking for change — "Tens-a kudunga sir). To which Bosskey's standard response is, "Tense-a vaendaam, Relaxed-a kudukaraen."

It is all about finding humour in every day situations and Chennai's streets, says Bosskey, are a veritable treasure trove of jokes.

Eavesdropping on two auto drivers, this is what he heard. They were talking about James Cameron's Titanic. After a lively discussion in typical Madras Tamil, they are convinced that the celebrated Hollywood director borrowed the idea for his movie from P. Vasu's Chinna Thambi. After all, both movies spoke about a rich girl falling in love with a poor boy.

"Such native logic is hard to beat," he remarks. Apart from the man on the street, Bosskey finds kids to be naturally funny people. But not so several celebrities who have found his brand of humour a little difficult to swallow! In Hari Giri... he has taken pot-shots at nearly 700 people, all face-to-face.

Humour can be a great weapon says Bosskey and shared tips on how to tackle people who are hell bent on irritating you.

Like when a guy in a vehicle behind you keeps his had pressed on the horn without letting up, ( an all too common feature on our roads) all you need to do is point out to his tyre excitedly and drive off. Rest assured, he will immediately pull over to check his vehicle.

"Humour is also great to put down someone who is trying to pull you down," he says.

Is there a flip side at all to being funny and making others laugh? "People tend to take you lightly. It rankles, but I've got used to it."

SUBHA J RAO

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