Humour and the Performance of Power in South As, Perera, Pathak..

Taylor & Francis

Humour and the Performance of Power in South AsiaAnxiety, Laughter and Politics in Unstable Times\nAuthor(s): Sasanka Perera, Dev Nath Pathak\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd, United Kingdom\nImprint: Routledge India\nISBN-13: 9780367564018, 978-0367564018\nSynopsis\nThis book critically examines the role and politics of humour and the performance of power in South Asia. What does humour do and how does it manifest when lived political circumstances experience ruptures or instability? Can humour that emerges in such circumstances be viewed as a specific narrative on the nature of democracy in the region? Drawing upon essays from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, this volume discusses many crucial historical and contemporary themes, including dance-drama performances in northern India; caste and stand-up comedy in India; cartoon narratives of citizens anxieties; civic participation through social media memes in Sri Lanka; media, politics and humorous public in Ba.