Humour is a good indicator of how society has evolved: Saurabh Shukla

From reflecting on the decline of humour in Bollywood to sharing why he chose Kashmir as the backdrop for his play Barf, acclaimed actor and writer Saurabh Shukla was recently in town to attend a college event. In a candid chat, he offered deep insights into his craft, society, and his enduring bond with Kolkata. Excerpts:
On humour disappearing in cinema
Shukla, known for his comic roles, offered a poignant observation about the state of humour in contemporary cinema, linking it directly to societal trends. “Cinema mirrors society. When you find less and less humour in real life, you’ll experience the same in cinema. And if you want to know why, you’ll have to ask why it’s happening in the real world, where people get easily offended now, make issues out of nothing, and are quick to anger. I feel humour is a good indicator of how society has evolved,” he said.
On the charm of Kashmir and his play Barf

When asked why he chose Kashmir as the setting for his play Barf, Shukla said, “The moment we hear about Kashmir, the politics and conflicts jump to mind, but my play has nothing to do with all that. In fact, one of the best compliments I received was from a Kashmiri after he heard the script: ‘Sir ye Kashmir ki kahani hain; yeh aur kahin ki kahani nahi ho sakti hain’. Shukla added that the play was originally set in Maharashtra. “But I felt something was amiss. Then I shot a film in Kashmir. It’s truly beautiful – the people are very good looking, very soft spoken. But I felt a sort of fear – a sense of mistrust and seclusion – despite things being alright. I needed just that for the play,” he said.
Beyond choice & towards detail
Emphasising that the details an actor adds to a character makes all the difference, the Satya actor said, “The idea is not to just do a role you like, but what details you add to the character to make it come alive. I feel joy when I can add colour to the roles I play.”

‘Theatre taught me a lot but not how to act in movies’
Articulating the fundamental difference between working in theatre and cinema, he said, “Theatre taught me discipline, how to read a script, ethics, aesthetics, but not how to do cinema. Cinema is a different medium altogether. Quite a few great thespians haven’t made it big in cinema and vice versa. Actors are actors, but what makes the difference is the medium. Their success often hinges on their mastery of the specific demands of either the stage or the screen.”
Don’t try to look for a story that has never been told before, because you’ll be disappointed to know there is no such story. Write what you want to tell; it need not stand out to make it big
– On how to write a unique story
Quotes:
I feel joy when I can add colour to the roles I play
Kolkata is not just a vibrant city but also home for me. I have many memories here – of the food and also the people. I shot two films here – Manohar Pandey & Calcutta Mail
It’s a perception that Gen Z doesn’t have a long attention span, but I feel that isn’t true. If the content is worth watching, they will watch even a three-hour-long movie