by Subhash K Jha

Okay guys, the season of laughter is upon us with with a big bang. Thanks to the success of No Entry, the stars and directors are ready let their hair, wigs and toupee down...in more ways than one.

No Entry director Anees Bazmi is all set to direct a sequel, and also an Akshay Kumar ha-ha-thon called Welcome. Infact Akshay Kumar will be seen in two back-to-back comedies this month—Garam Masala and then Vikram Bhatt's Deewane Huey Pagal.

After David Dhawan's Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya now No Entry (both coincidentally featuring Salman Khan) are roaring hits. And everyone is planning a comedy.

These two farcical fests flag off a prolonged season of full-on laughathons. Close on the heels of these two comedies came the no-holds-barred Ramji Londonwale with Tamil superstar Madhavan playing a Bihari cook's enormously risible ha-ha-jinks on foreign shores.

Says Madhavan, "It was almost like a desi Crocodile Dundee. You know the way the Australian hero went through a series of culturally chaotic comic adventures in the US? My characters goes through similar adventures in London."

Interestingly the other senior Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan tried his hand at seriously funny satire in Mumbai Express some months ago. The experiment with farce failed.

"But," Madhavan adds hastily, "Ramji Londonwale is written by Kamalji. He's the absolute pharaoh of farce. His lines owe a lot to the sense of fun in Ramji Londonwale."

The writing skills, or the lack of them, have always been a problem in the comedies. It looks like the kings of comedy have discovered a formula for satirical success.

David Dhawan who has another comedy Shaadi No 1 lined up for Diwali, reveals , "A lot of the dialogues and writing in my last two comedies were by me. I think we need to sharpen the satirical edges to make Hindi comedies work."

David competes with Priyadarshan's Garam Masala where Akshay Kumar and Joh Abraham play incorrigible skirt-chasers. Priyan will be back with more mirth in December in Malaalmal Express with the Om Puri-Paresh Rawail duo providing the laughs.

To Priyan goes the credit for pulling Hindi comedies out of the doldrums . When comic films were considered strictly the domain of the duds Priyan pulled out a laugh-life called Hera Pheri. Then came Hungama and Hulchal.

Says the prolific Priyan, "I know comedies are like a rain check for me in Hindi. I can always go back to it if I fail in the drama genre."

Anees Bazmi who directs No Entry has another out-and-out comedy Sandwich with the original giggle master Govinda in the lead. The film was completed long ago. It looks like Bazmi will be finally able to release it now after the success of No Entry.

Fardeen Khan who has suddenly discovered his funny-bone after Khushi and No Entry is currently doing a comedy Pyare Mohan about male bonding with Vivek Oberoi. From Indra 'Masti' Kumar, Pyare Mohan too will release before the year is through.

Subhash Ghai is producing two comedies Shaadi Se Pehle and Money Money Money, directed by Satish (funny-man) Kaushik and Sangeeth (Kya Kool Hain Hum) Sivan.

Never before has cinema been inundated with so many comedies within such a short time.

Says David Dhawan, "Everyone wants a good laugh. It's as therapeutic as a good cry. Providing laughter is far tougher. You never know when the comic writing works or doesn't work. I'll always continue to do the needful."

And it looks like audiences have discovered an appetite for it.

Bon appetit!