Spoofy, goofy fun

[1]

Of course we know well that even cartoons aren’t simply all fun. Laughing matter can provide enough ammunition to spark outrage. But looks like shows based on parody and spoof, high on humour, are here to stay. See how spoof videos go viral on global sharing sites like YouTube.

Four friends, bound by their passion for short films and love to explore the lighter side of life, have come together for a fun-filled project — Spoofmania — a festival to celebrate spoof as a genre of films.
“Youngsters love wacky and crazy short films. These films can never bore you as they serve the message directly and the treatment is simple and very entertaining. In an hour, one can catch at least two fun short films. So, we believe that short films are the next big thing,” says Gaurav Raturi, 27, who along with friends Mohak Mathur, Nagendra Singh and Sumit Nanda started Filmbooth, a Delhi-based short film organisation which is organising the festival.
Spoofmania will also offer a take on serious social issues, but in a lighthearted manner, informs Gaurav. “We are going to poke fun at Bollywood, politics, brands, TV anchors and ads,” he says. The interesting aspect of the fest is that it’s a crowdfunded project, an idea new to India.
“Crowdfunding is an interesting concept and is very common in the West. Upcoming artistes like musicians ask for small funding from their community and fans. We know that there are a lot of spoof lovers in the country, who may be interested to see such festivals happen and will readily pitch in. Also, crowdfunding is about fan engagement, marketing and collaborative celebration. The money is raised through social networking or specialised crowdfunding websites. We have joined hands with Wishberry for the same,” he says.
But with platforms like YouTube, short films are already instant hits and available across the globe, what would be the role of this festival? “Spoofmania, which is going to be an annual affair, will serve as a meeting ground of young creative independent spoofmakers and spooflovers. It will be an extravaganza celebrating spoof,” he says.
Coming back to the recent cartoon controversy, what makes him optimistic enough to consider that the country has matured to celebrate humour? “We are all for the freedom of expression, but only till we respect the freedom of others. We are aware of the thin line dividing humour and hurting one’s sentiments. So, we have put in place some guidelines asking participants to steer clear of sensitive areas like religion and national flag etc,” says Gaurav.
“We are not accepting everything and anything that will be filed to us,” he says.