Kunal Kamra, who has made mincemeat of those in power with his devastating jokes, has stopped laughing. But that’s no cause for comfort for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The following are excerpts from a video guest essay in The New York Times in which Kamra articulates his opinion. The essay appeared in the Opinion Video section, whose director and executive producer is Adam B. Ellick, who has produced Pulitzer- and Emmy-winning video journalism. Kamra’s words are interspersed with heart-rending images that marked the Covid second wave in India and snatches of speeches by Modi.

⚫ Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi, blatantly lying (on Modi declaring victory over the coronavirus in January 2021)

⚫ My name is Kunal Kamra, I am a stand-up comedian from India, and this is where even I stop laughing.

⚫ My people are needlessly dying. Our government has blood on its hands.

⚫ No world leader can compete with Modi…. And Boy, he can act!

⚫ So when Modi declared Covid was over in January, there was a small problem, Covid forgot to follow his instructions.

⚫ In May, Modi gleefully attended super-spreader election rallies in West Bengal.

⚫ Denialism is everywhere, particularly at the top.

⚫ Now to top it all, Modi botched up our vaccine rollout, which is ironic because guess who produces 60 per cent of the world’s vaccines….

⚫ We live in an out-and-out lie, but our government is a master of one domain — attacking its critics.

⚫ Even I, as a comedian, am struggling to satirise this absurdity.