Image: Wikipedia/Bollywood Hungama, colors.co.inOn August 6, American TV show host, news satirist, media critic and liberal icon Jon Stewart bid farewell to the blockbuster The Daily Show after a long stint of 16 years and 5 months. Since he started hosting the show in 1999, he has taken on politicians no holds barred and beaten down his media opponents with no mercy. He had such a powerful voice that he could impact legislations, give the much needed impetus to grass-root movements or even get them to lose credibility.The American media is going bonkers over his finale. A lot of digital ink has been used to hail him and put him down. He taught millenials how to think, he was the comic who became the conscience, the fake newsman who made a real difference and an avatar of progressive culture. He was also the patron saint of liberal smugness, the TV show host who took it easy on CEOs and bankers during the financial crisis and the man who made America dumber. Jon Stewart. Image: Flickr/JDH RosewaterStewart may have worn many masks but for a comedian, he was quite influential. And he is not alone. There are others in the West like Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher and John Oliver who have used comedy as a powerful tool to challenge status quo.It is difficult to think of anyone in India, today or in the near future, who can have a similar impact on society, polity and media narrative by being a comedian on TV. The closest we have from our stables in English is The Week That Wasn’t on CNN-IBN, a show hosted by Cyrus Broacha and which features a healthy dose of humour from Kunal Vijayakar and others. There have been other attempts in news comedy like Great Indian Tamasha on NDTV or So Sorry on India Today, but TWTW is the closest to the format of the Western shows which have made a huge impact. The other show which has been compared with The Daily Show is Jay Hind!, an internet-TV show which is also aired on Colours and India TV in Hindi.To say TWTW is hilarious is an understatement. The humour is classy and dignified, hits at the right targets deservedly and has no political bias whatsoever. But given that it is an English show in India and that the audience is being increasingly exposed to Western talk shows and satirists, there is no doubt that TWTW is nearly not as bold, critical or emotive as the Western counterparts. We play it safe and have internal censorship. We know that we cannot cross the line. Jay Hind! is now the longest running internet TV show in the world, according to its producers. Spanning over 6 years and 414 Episodes including two versions BLTN.TV (in English & on global news) & The Late Night Show which airs on Colors. "I believe the TV channels self censor, for needless fear. Yes it is more difficult to convince them to air a show like this on TV but as for politicians or audience - I don't think either of them have displayed any difficulty with content like this," says Abhigyan Jha, Founder and CEO of Undercover Productions, which produces the show. So why is it that TV channels are so paranoid and that most of the time a TV show host cannot joyfully make a joke about a senior politician or respected celebrity without having to face persistent trolling, death threats and legal hassles?Cyrus Broacha says that there are indeed dangers in taking it too far. “There are too many sacred powers, and they can ruin your career if they want,” he says, adding that he isn’t complaining, things are the way they are and there is still enough freedom. “Whatever you say, you can’t deny that fact that we have done the most amount of masti on politicians and celebrities in India. In our own way, we have been bold,” says Kunal Vijayakar, who is also the show director. Even so, they agree that there is a lot more potential. Image: colors.in.comThe immediate assumption most of us would make as to why political humour in India is meek is that it is due to the divisive nature of our politics and perhaps that Indians, as a society, do not have a sense of humour. We are hypocritical. We like to laugh at others, but not ourselves. We forward ‘pappu jokes’ on WhatsApp but troll people on Twitter for joking about Narendra Modi, or vice versa.“We have an emotional attitude. Deep down, we are intellectual, but the sycophancy kills it all,” says Broacha. “We also move front and back at the same time. Sometimes it feels like we had more freedom in the 80s,” he adds.Even so, our media will not be cowed down, says Vijayakar, “Our general news is quite bold. They do take on everybody.”“But this culture of sensitivity is just one factor. Yes, we have problems here. We have internal checks in place, we have to be careful, but that is not is not all,” says Pavan Acharya, who is the Series Producer of TWTW.“I will tell you what my bigger problem is?” asks Broacha, “it’s poor air conditioning.”As a confused silence follows from my end of the line, he laughs and says, “Look, there is lack of talent to begin with. There are just so many people who can do this. And there is very little money.”“If I have to tell you from a core-production point of view, the kind of money spent in the West on news comedy and in India is unmatchable. They have more than 50 producers and researchers for just one show. It’s not just the show host, there is literally an army behind him. We have a 5-member team,” says Acharya. He says that in India, media houses are not willing to invest in good talent and shows, and Broacha agrees with him.Jha also agrees. When asked what challenges he faces, he says, "Funds, mostly. We have struggled to make it a daily and live. Everything else is in place. The talent, the content and the acceptance. We are raising 3 million USD to scale to a 2 hour channel with 4 shows."The tight-fisted nature of media houses towards news and political satire also shows in the money they are willing to shell out for legal expenses.“I am sure that TV show hosts in the West are legally well represented, with an army of lawyers. He is able to take on anyone he wants because the studio backs him in the court,” says Vijayakar, adding that the TWTW itself was a success only because they were able to do it on CNNIBN with the backing of a big media group.The legal hassles can be quite draining out. TWTW also has faced serious cases from important politicians, including one from Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa. But they have been able to deal with most of them by being polite and apologising. “See, I have always been willing to apologize. We make fun, and if someone is offended we go tie their shoelace the next day,” says Broacha, “And if nothing else works, Kunal will be sent.”Broacha says that a senior cricketer who took offence to his mockery on their show complained to Rajdeep Sardesai at a party and created a big scene. Broacha says they promptly called him up the next day and apologized. Kunal Vijayakar and Kaneez Surka on TWTW. Image: TWTW Twitter feedIn terms of popularity and reach of such shows, language is a problem. “We cater to a niche audience in English, and even they are being eaten up by online comedy groups. I don’t think ever in my life time any new satire show can be as big as The Daily Show in India,” says Acharya.So, can we have a Jon Stewart in India?“Yes we can. Somebody with a little more guts should come in. We are comedians in the news space, but if there is someone from the news space who can start doing this, it will be better,” says Vijayakar. As for the political impact of the show, it can only happen if it is smartly done in Hindi, he says.Jha says that they do have a long way to go, but it isn't entirely bad. "For sure Jay Hind! does not have the impact as The Daily Show as it is not marketed in a similar high profile way - but then neither does the news channels in India have much impact - less than 2 million people actually tune in for Arnab in a country of 1.2 billion. When on TV we do better for sure," he says.Both Broacha and Vijayakar say that they have never faced censorship and never been told what to do or what not to. “Even in the past year, we have been careful about what we can say,” says Broacha. Vijayakar adds, “But to tell you frankly, we have never faced a problem in the past year.”Jha says that there is a lot of scope and a lot is being done already, "We do hardcore satire, we do farce, we do sketches, we do absurd, whatever any one has done anywhere - we have done probably more."“We want to be positive. If you are smart, you can do good work,” says Broacha.There is however near consensus on the fact that our politicians and celebrities need to develop a better sense of humour. “People in power do need to learn laugh at themselves and not be insecure and be affected with such comedy shows,” says Pavan Acharya. “In fact the concept of roast is now well received because the US President often mock himself during the White House Correspondents’ dinner every year,” says Broacha.The article has been updated since with views of Abhigyan Jha