The talk will examine the complex relationship between humour and religion through the prism of Indian stand-up comedy and its representation of Hindus and Hinduism. Based on Professor Vamsee Juluri’s concept of Media Hinduphobia, we present our analysis of fifty two Indian stand-up comedy routines from 2015-2021 to delve into the nature of humour on Hindus and Hinduism. This research was selected for presentation at the annual conference organized by the Institute for Religion, Media, and Culture and held at the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany in August 2023.

About the Speakers:
1. Professor Ramesh Rao:
Ramesh N. Rao is a professor of communication studies at Columbus State University. Having worked in India briefly as a bank officer, a schoolteacher, and a copy editor for a major newspaper, he earned a PhD in Communication from Michigan State University. He is the editor of IndiaFacts.

2. Dr. Nidhi Shendurnikar:
Dr. Nidhi Shendurnikar is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Journalism & Communication, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. She has close to a decade of teaching and research experience in media and communication studies. She is interested in research and teaching of Indic perspectives.

3. Rutvi Dattani
Rutvi Dattani is a marketing strategist and an independent media columnist. She has worked with outlets like Swarajya and Outlook (India) in the past. She is keenly interested in exploring Indic narratives vis-a-vis contemporary events.

4. Avinash Brahmbhatt:
Avinash Brahmbhatt is an alumnus of the Faculty of Journalism & Communication, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat. He is a passionate policy consultant a budding strategist. He is interested in researching and writing about dharmic issues.