An under promoted art called Mimicry…
When I see these corny stand up comedy shows where the only way the stars can get a laugh is by making fun of a particular community, or of a physical disability or by belittling some bodily function, my blood boils.
Where is the pure humor, that classy joke…where is the skill, the timing, where is the art. In fact I have noticed that most of these stand up shows are held at posh hotels and venues and are often preceded by a generous serving of sponsored alcohol. Is it necessary for the audience to be tanked up just to enjoy the performance.
I am not saying that all stand up acts are atrocious. There are some that are very good. And I’ve laughed my pants off at many a show. But the number of acts that are basically built around the degenerate school is becoming more than I can handle. I have a feeling that many of you feel the same way.
When it comes to films however the game turns quite weird. Amazingly talented actors like Brahmanandam and Venu Madhav etc. (in Telugu) are made to resort to hard core slapstick which drowns their talent and only makes their antics visible. Brahmanandam for instance is one of the finest exponents of the Navarasas that I have seen. But his roles are becoming stereotyped and not really challenging him any more.
Another tragedy that concerns me is the art of Mimicry. I have had the good fortune to watch at close quarters, masters of the art like Mimicry Srinivas and Mimicry Janardhan, Phani and so on and I wonder why these talented powerhouses who have taken mimicry to yet another level of entertainment science…are unable to hog as much of the limelight as they deserve. Their experiments with Sound Illusion and Ventriloquism are to be seen to be believed.
So when I heard that they were taking part in a Mimicry Festival, I was very happy for them, for their art and for their efforts. and quite upto expectations the vehicles they chose to help in their promotional efforts for the festival were drawn from a unique blend of their own talent and clips from popular movies.
The mimicry is in Telugu…so if you are familiar with that language…please watch three of these clips on youtube. I thought they were brilliant. Enjoy!!!
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