India might have won its freedom 76 years ago, but its citizens are still prisoners to the harsh drudgeries of everyday life. There’s the hours stuck in gridlock traffic. The office coffee machine that, despite your best efforts, will only give you a brown slush that is anything but coffee. The sewage-tainted floodwater currently carrying away your Scooty. You know, your daily reminders that existence is suffering.

But enough is enough. It’s time we unite and fight against these oppressive mundanities. We already have our champions for the cause: standup comedians. You know, those guys who spend hours on stage talking about things that grinds their gears, hoping that wit and wordplay will help them process the trauma of everything from a breakup to un-skippable ads (or at least make them rich enough that they can afford a psychiatrist). Here are five times Indian comedians fought for your right… to not have to deal with any of this annoying nonsense.

Siddharth Dudeja – Ads and Documentaries 

In the last few years, the one person who has become extremely famous thanks to the cinemas is Mukesh—the anti-smoking poster boy. We’ve also got the father who casually lights up a cigarette right in the middle of his living room while watching cartoons with his daughter. These ads are a staple of the Indian movie-going experience, like A1 samosa or overpriced beverages. Siddharth Dudeja makes a strong case against these PSAs in this 10-minute clip. He’s also had it with advertisements in general. There’s suspension of disbelief and then there’s whatever it takes to believe Indian ads. Dudeja is going to free us from them though, or at least he’ll die trying. 

Aakash Gupta – Dogs

Yes, dogs are amazing. We all love our furry little friends with their wagging tails and undying positivity even when the world is going down the shitter. But nothing in this world is universally loved and dogs are no exception to that rule. There are people who are scared of getting bitten and being chased down the street. Who’s the leader of this sad crew? Aakash Gupta. The comedian is tired of his phobia being belittled. Especially when we live in times when people are sensitive towards all kinds of fears. We’re not going to lie, he makes some strong points. We wish him the very best on his journey to seek freedom from these cute little mongrels. 

Shreeja Chaturvedi – Public Toilets 

Picture this: you’re driving down to Pune. You stop for the customary McDonald’s burger. You head to the loo. And suddenly you’re questioning the very existence of your bladder. The whole thing is just an assault on your olfactory sense, and you start testing how long you can hold your breath. That’s the typical public toilet experience. They are disgusting. Period. in this clip, Shreeja Chaturvedi voices all our collective woes with these breeding grounds for new diseases. It’s time to liberate ourselves from these cesspools and Chaturvedi will be the spear of our revo-loo-tion.  

Prashasti Singh – Heartbreaks 

Which one of you lucky ducks hasn’t gone through a heartbreak? Well, it’s horrible. You suddenly have nobody to share the mundane details of your day with. Even ordering in dinner becomes so much harder. There are always leftovers and you can no longer afford to call for appetisers, because who’s going to split that bill with you? Nobody. Prashasti Singh is a kind of pro when it comes to this phenomenon. She’s gone through one too many breakups and has had enough now. If you too are looking to break free from the shackles of dating apps, ghosting and relationship advice, this video is for you. 

Biswa Kalyan Rath – Extroverts and Chaos

This one is a classic. If you’re an Indian comedy superfan, you know about Biswa Kalyan Rath’s general disdain for people. More specifically, for extroverts who can’t even have a cup of coffee without informing the world about it with a basic Instagram story. Rath takes these annoying say-it-alls one joke at a time, calling out their unhealthy need for human attention. Also in the line of fire are festival enthusiasts, another sect of extroverts. From Holi to Diwali, these people’s sole purpose is to maximise everyone’s participation. We all share our annoyance for such people and hope that Rath can end their tyrannical reign.

Rohan Joshi – Road Trips Are Overrated

In 2001, Farhan Akhtar gave us one of Bollywood’s best smash hits Dil Chahta Hai. But that film also spawned an epidemic of college kids trying to make a Goa plan and driving down to the state. For every successful trip to the country’s favourite holiday destination, there are at least 17 defunct WhatsApp groups, eight last minute cancellations and two parents who wanted to chaperone. Rohan Joshi is here with the final consensus about Goa road trips: They are overrated. Just book a flight for chrissakes. And save us from the torturous Indian roads that leave you heaving on the side of the road.

Urooj Ashfaq – Casual Relationships

In 2023, dating is all about situationships. After a quick chat with our GenZ intern, we’ve realised the word basically means casual relationships. You know, the ones where both people agree to not catch any feelings and keep things breezy, but as soon as you see them with someone else you start plotting this new foe’s “disappearance”. Basically, they are anything but casual and leave most people in a world of hurt. Urooj Ashfaq is one of those afflicted parties. In this clip, she’s taking the first step towards culling relationships of this nature. We wish her the best of luck.