Favorite Activity: Stand-Up Comedy by Mahila Manch

My favorite activity of the India Ki Khoj program was the stand-up comedy show given by Mahila Manch. The group brought 4 members, who each gave a 10-15 minute stand-up comedy routine focusing on prevalent social issues in India, such as those relating to religion, citizenship, caste, gender, and sexuality. In some cases, they also integrated American issues into their routines, which gave the opportunity to reflect on similarities and differences between India and the United States. I really enjoyed the openness that this show presented and the fact that it allowed us to consider important issues in a less serious manner than through traditional lecture-debate. I thought it was also interesting to see the differences in humor between the IIT and Caltech students, as there were some jokes that fell flat on one group but were thoroughly enjoyed by the other group.