The Laughing Club of India

2001 0h 35m EN

🤯

8.5

MASTERPIECE

★8.5TMDB · 2

Documentary

Synopsis

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Portrait of the first laughing club in India, its founding by a doctor who believes that laughter is the best medicine, his outreach to schools, interviews with club members, scenes of outdoor sessions, and shots of billboards and street scenes in contemporary Mumbai. Club members gather, stretch, and start to laugh. Founder Dr. Madan Kararia talks of the club's history and the growth of laughing clubs across the country. Among those interviewed, there's a stockbroker, three bawdy women, a musician, a widow laughing to cope with grief, and two old men - friends since school days who meet daily to laugh. No form, no fuss: happiness equals health.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mira Nair
Languages: Hindi, English
Countries: India, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

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Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

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Tight 35-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

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25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Hindi, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: India, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

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Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

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Directed by Mira Nair, shot by Adam Bartos. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Barry Alexander Brown shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

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IMDB entry: tt0283448 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mira Nair directs. Adam Bartos behind the camera. Barry Alexander Brown cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in India, United States of America. Dialogue in Hindi, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 35-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
225 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Hindi, English.
4International production across 2 countries: India, United States of America.
5Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
6Directed by Mira Nair, shot by Adam Bartos. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Editor Barry Alexander Brown shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8IMDB entry: tt0283448 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.