ABSTRACT
The arena explored in this chapter is the performance genre of Haryana; these performances are labelled as chatpati (piquant) jakari/ragni in the local parlance. The chapter attempts to invoke larger linkages between performance, power, subversion and humour. It links theory to its case study of two forms of satire and humour in folk versions. The chapter comprises data collected from two sources: the ethnographic study of the jakari performance genre and the analysis of the ragni genre of performances present on digital media (YouTube). This chapter draws the jakari and ragni as a single analytical category to convey the modalities of dramatic Haryanvi humour and gendered subversions. The chapter argues that the apparent satires and ability to laugh at them lie finely over a more evocative subtext of disapproval, providing a text for the concerns of women. There emerge specific arguments – a woman’s countenance appears in the form of lyrics and dialogic banter. This stance makes a mockery of masculinity with the generation of laughter. Thus, this work argues that the humorous performances in the context of Haryana negotiate and build a dialogue with the gendered realities.
