Bollywood actor Arshad Warsi has come under fire on social media after saying he is not a fan of Pakistani-style humour, describing it as “derogatory” and “insulting” during a recent conversation with filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani.
The comments quickly triggered debate online, with many Pakistani users rejecting Warsi’s views and arguing that Indian comedy often relies more heavily on insults, vulgarity and double-meaning jokes.
During the interview, Warsi said Pakistani comedy did not appeal to him because of what he described as its insulting nature.
“I’m not a big fan of Pakistani humour. Purely because it’s derogatory, it’s insulting. Pakistani humour is a bit insulting all the time. Calling names and all that,” he said.
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Warsi added that while many people enjoy that style of comedy, it was simply not his personal preference.
“So a lot of people like it. I personally, I’m not a big fan of sexual comedies. People like it, that’s my choice, I don’t like it,” he said.
Hirani says comedy should not be over-censored
Responding to Warsi’s remarks, filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani argued that comedy has always involved jokes about cultural and community identities.
“If you sanitise everything this much, how will you even get humour?” Hirani said.
He explained that he had often heard jokes about his own Sindhi background and noted that jokes about Sardarjis and even Polish communities have long existed.
“If you cut all of it out, humour itself will end,” he added.
Warsi agreed with Hirani’s broader point, saying people should not take everything too seriously. “As people, we all need to lighten up, I feel,” he said.
Social media users defend Pakistani comedy
Warsi’s comments drew strong reactions from Pakistani social media users, many of whom argued that Pakistani comedy is more respectful than Indian comedy.
One user questioned the actor’s criticism, saying Pakistani humour contains little offensive content, while many Indian comedy shows rely on insults and profanity.
The user also pointed to reality television and The Kapil Sharma Show as examples of comedy built around double-meaning jokes.
Comparisons with Indian comedy
Another social media user compared Pakistani humour to British comedy, describing it as witty and entertaining while saying they had never found Indian humour particularly funny.
The same user referenced Warsi’s role in Welcome to the Jungle and questioned whether he had watched programs such as India’s Got Latent or performances by Indian stand-up comedians associated with Samay Raina.
Another commenter argued that Pakistani audiences were equally not fans of Warsi’s solo comedy films.
The user also claimed that Hindi comedy evolved significantly after adopting elements associated with Pakistani comedy, pointing to the success of The Kapil Sharma Show and its style of audience interaction.
Several users argued that Indian comedy often crosses the line into abusive language or racial stereotypes.
One commenter described Indian comedy as being based largely on "abuses or racism."
Another called The Kapil Sharma Show "the most vulgar and humiliating example of comedy."
Others referred to the controversy surrounding India’s Got Latent, noting that the show faced suspension for a year following criticism over allegedly derogatory content. One user also mentioned comedian Pranit More while questioning Warsi’s criticism of Pakistani humour.
Pakistani influence on comedy discussed online
Some users also highlighted the influence of legendary Pakistani comedian Umer Sharif on South Asian comedy.
One commenter argued that Indian actors including Govinda, Paresh Rawal and Johnny Lever had incorporated elements of Pakistani comedic style and Umer Sharif’s performances into their own work.
The online debate has since grown into a broader discussion about cultural differences in comedy, freedom of expression and where audiences believe the line should be drawn between humour and offense.
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