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‘LOL- HASEE TO PHASSE’ IS AN EXPERIMENT WITH HUMAN EMOTIONS

Sunil Grover, Gaurav Gera & Aditi Mittal recently joined NewsX to speak about ‘LOL- Hasee Toh Phasse’, streaming on an OTT platform.

As India grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic, India’s top comedians have joined hands to entertain the audience with Amazon Prime’s latest show ‘LOL- Hasee Toh Phasse’. Sunil Grover, Gaurav Gera, Aditi Mittal spoke about the show. The trio not only spilled the beans on the show’s format and its USP but also shared their opinion on the ever-increasing craze around comedy in India.

On bringing smiles amid tough times, Sunil said, “I feel lucky to be a part of this show as there are a lot of tensions and worries around us. So, it is a good thing that people will be at their home laughing. When we were shooting the show, it was difficult. Everyone got tested and we maintained all precautions. We were almost in a bio-bubble. For us, safety was the priority. Fortunately, we could shoot the show at that time. We need a show like during these difficult times. I am glad to be a part of it. We weren’t allowed to laugh but we hope people will.”

Gaurav said, “I don’t know many shows, which are reality comedy shows. You always have an audience around you, who acknowledge and say that you are funny. They laugh back at you. This show is different. It’s a fiction reality show, where the people around you are telling you that you are not funny. It is exciting and has never been done before in India.”

When asked about its USP and what made her say yes to the show, Aditi expressed, “I would never get on a conference call with Gaurav and Sunil if it wasn’t for this show. I have already got my work’s worth in this entire process. Having said that, it is a beautiful study. It is an interesting psychological experiment to put 10 people, who are so needy for validation that we decided to make a profession out of it. We are then put in a room where nobody is giving us validation. It was truly like it could either go well, which will be hilarious or badly, which would also be hilarious.”

Over the years, the standard and craze of comedy has been rising. When asked about it, Sunil responded, “There are a lot of reasons behind this. The mediums have increased. People have a lot of platforms to express themselves. People are also doing comedy on social media. There are various tools and apps where people can showcase their talent. So, these people showcase their talent and become famous on social media. Now, we have a lot of material and choice. Things get viral and people get to know about more comic artists. With OTT, comedy has got a push as people have improved access. They can watch content within the comfort of their house. Experiments are happening which I like a lot. For example, this show is an experiment with human emotions on a psychological level. This cannot be done in a film or television. We can explore new content on OTT. I also feel happy that I got a chance to work on a new subject and a new universe.”

On a parting note, the trio shared their ‘one message of hope and caution’ to people amid challenging times. Sunil said, “Everyone should wear masks and maintain hygiene. If it is not important, don’t go out of your home. This is my request to everyone.”

Gaurav added, “Only go out if necessary. Otherwise, it is not worth it. We are all in this situation together. We are living in tough times. You should give hope to isolated people. When you are unwell, your mind keeps running so you have to learn how to distract as well. Rest, something that is supposed to happen, will happen. So, just stay hopeful and stay cautious.”

Urging people to extend help to the needy, Aditi added, “Mask up, stay home, and don’t step outside unless it is urgent. My request would also be that we are privileged enough to extend a helping hand to someone. If we can do that in these difficult times, whether it is financial or emotional help to anyone, then we should do it.”

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