A comedian gets up on stage and he is welcomed with hoots and cheers. As he goes on with his set, he makes a joke, rather poses a riddle, taking a dig at persons with disabilities.
“What’s one thing a paralysed person cannot do? Stand-up comedy.”
Did you laugh? Did you flinch? Did you immediately check if it was okay to laugh?
That’s the thing about dark comedy — it’s not just about pushing boundaries; it’s about making you laugh at the uncomfortable truths you’d rather ignore. But where do you draw the line? Racism? Cancer? Or is it simply whatever makes people uncomfortable enough to question whether they should be laughing at all? And in 2025, where stand-up sets are dissected faster than a viral tweet, the debate is louder than ever: Is dark humour a fearless art form, or just a cheap shot disguised as wit?
What do the comedians say?
If anyone understands the fine line between humour and offence, it’s the people who walk it for a living. Chennai’s comedians have their own rules, their own limits, and, of course, their own battles with audiences who love a good laugh — until they don’t.
“Is this joke necessary?” – Monika Dhayalan
As an improv comedian, RJ and comedian (of The Hysterical) Monika’s jokes are often spontaneous, but she has a clear boundary. “I always ask myself: Is this joke really necessary? Sometimes people say things just for shock value. I don’t appreciate humour that targets vulnerable groups — it’s someone’s pain, and I don’t want to exploit that for a few laughs.” She acknowledges that Chennai’s stand-up scene is still small, but dark humour does have an audience. “There are shows that specialise in it, but for now, it’s a niche crowd. As more comedians and audiences come in, we’ll have a better idea of where the line is.” For her, comedy is a two-way street. “A comedian’s goal is to make people laugh — brownie points for making them think. But if we nitpick everything, we might forget to laugh altogether.”
“A joke isn’t just a joke.” – Nesan David
For Nesan, comedy is about balance. “It’s completely okay to joke about any topic — as long as we know where to draw the line. If a majority of my audience or the people watching online would be genuinely uncomfortable, I’d rather not do that set,” says the stand-up comedian and content creator.
He believes comedians need to factor in audience perception, intent, and cultural sensitivity. “I have sets about dogs mating and a phone call with a stranger who mistakes me for a sex worker. These are adult jokes, but they’re structured as jokes, not just dirty talk. The audience should not feel like you are saying something dirty, they have got to enjoy your jokes.”
That’s where he feels the India’s Got Latent controversy failed. “Ranveer’s comment wasn’t a joke. It was just a dirty, absurd question. And it wasn’t a smart move to post that clip online, because while his live audience may have laughed, the Internet certainly didn’t.”
Does India allow enough space for edgy humour? Not really. “Comedians here get influenced by international comics but forget that Indian audiences are culturally sensitive. Joking about religion, politics, or famous leaders is risky — you’re one wrong move away from serious trouble,” he says.
That said, Nesan believes both comedians and audiences need to adjust. “Comedians should be mindful of their content, and audiences could try to be less sensitive. Maybe both sides need to meet halfway.”
“Dark comedy in India? Few dare to do it.” — Natasha Rastogi
According to Natasha, dark humour is still a niche space in Indian stand-up. “Firstly, there are very few comedians doing dark comedy and even fewer who are acing it. As much as I am aware, Samay Raina, Yash Rathi, Sumaira Shaikh, and Daniel Fernandes are the comedians in the Hindi-English space who are doing unhinged dark humour, and I love their humour,” says the comedienne.
She’s never had to drop a joke completely, but sometimes, self-censorship sneaks in. “I once did a family comedy show and was asked to do family content, so I had to replace the word ‘sex’ with ‘karyakram’ in a joke. ‘Karyakram’ translates to ‘programme’ in Hindi. Apparently, the audience ROFLed even more because the unwanted censorship was too obvious,” she says.
But while some comedians push boundaries, she feels self-censorship is still a reality. “Well, in India, there definitely is a lot of pressure to self-censor jokes, and it doesn’t just include dark humour. I think people should be more tolerant to jokes than they are currently and understand that jokes are not meant to be taken seriously.”
“Comedy can cover anything — but how you do it matters.” – Neha Jhabak
Neha, who is also part of The Hysterical, believes no topic is off-limits — if the joke is crafted well. “Comedy can cover anything, from airplane food to casteism. But I don’t believe in jokes that punch down. As a woman, I can joke about male privilege, but I wouldn’t joke about my housemaid’s struggles — unless it highlights her strength or the unfairness of her situation.”
Her own experience with dark humour has evolved. “I perform a set about suicidal tendencies. Not to shock people, but because I’ve dealt with those thoughts myself. The joke isn’t about making light of suicide, but about presenting a perspective that ironically helps people cope.”
Chennai’s stand-up scene, she says, is still growing, and self-censorship often feels necessary. “The audience for dark humour is niche, and you never know who’s in the room. But a well-crafted joke, woven into a strong narrative, can shape how people perceive it.”
As for responsibility? She believes it’s mostly on comedians. “People take those with a microphone seriously, whether we mean it or not. But ideally, audiences would also make an effort to understand the context before taking offence. A little empathy goes a long way.”
When does a joke go too far?
For Tripti M, 27, stand-up comedy is best enjoyed with a very specific crowd. “I once went to a show with my parents, and let me tell you - there is no greater horror than sitting between your mum and dad while a comedian launches into a ten-minute bit about foreplay. I have never prayed for a power cut harder in my life.”
On the other end of the spectrum, Aksh Mehta, 24, thinks dark humour thrives because it makes people uncomfortable. “If a joke stings, maybe it’s because there’s some truth in it,” he says. “People hate that. But the best stand-up I’ve seen takes something awkward or painful and makes you laugh at it instead of just cringing.”
But not everyone is convinced that ‘dark’ automatically means ‘clever.’ Anandi P, 20, has a different take. “There’s a difference between making people think and making people uncomfortable for no reason. Like, a well-done joke about mental health can be hilarious, but if your entire punchline is just ‘Haha, depression,’ then… maybe you’re not edgy, you’re just not funny.”
For Sahil*, 22, it’s all about context. “A joke about death from someone who’s actually lost a loved one? That hits different than some random guy using it as an edgy one-liner.”
Meanwhile, Dhaksh R, 32, has seen both extremes. “I once went to a set where the comic joked about everything from plane crashes to religion, and the audience was roaring. But the second he made a joke about cricket, the whole room went silent. So yeah, I guess the real answer is: we’re fine with any joke… as long as it’s not about Dhoni.”
Where do we draw the line?
Some say the line is clear. Others say it’s subjective.
It shifts depending on who’s in the room, who’s holding the mic, and whether the joke is actually funny or just a cheap shot wrapped in faux edginess. You can joke about death, but not this death. You can joke about trauma, but only if you’ve personally lived through it. And don’t even think about making a cricket joke unless you have an escape plan.
At the end of the day, comedy is a gamble. Go too soft, and people call you boring. Go too hard, and suddenly, you’re the villain in someone’s Instagram story. So maybe the real question isn’t where we draw the line — it’s who gets to hold the marker.
*Name changed