Khushwant Singh on Humour - Edited by Mala Dayal

This is a slim volume of Khushwant Singh's selected writing, about 130 pages and has his trademark jokes about Sardarjis, political jokes, women, drink and being Indian. Most of them have been heard before and he shares jokes that his readers shared with him as well.

It's easy reading and one or two made me laugh out loud though I don't remember which ones. In political humour he normally makes a case about how politicians don't like to let go of power. There are community jokes on different communities, one on Sardarjis, one on the joys of farting and the pleasure of pissing, one about nose picking (don't wipe on the underside of the table he warns). There's stuff on name dropping, on how to appear learned without learning (memorise a couple of  lines from the Gita), on English, one even on cricket (Pataudi's wife calls for him while he is batting and says she will hold on - he does not bat long anyway). One on drink. Ah that reminds me which joke.

Its about this guy who gets into a taxi after a few drinks and suddenly notices as the car is moving forward that there is no driver. A curve appears in the road and he is scared to death when suddenly a hand comes in from the window and moves the steering. The hand then withdraws and the car keeps moving until the next curve when the hand reappears. The drunk thinks it is god in action and when the car stop she rushes into a bar and tells the barman his divine experience. Soon as he is done, two men walk into the bar and one of them says. 'Who was that idiot who sat in our car when we were pushing it?'

I like it. Light. Mischievous. Black. Good to read and laugh or at least be amused by his funny references.