Manjul is a well-known political cartoonist who specializes in using biting humor to peel back the layers of difficult national issues. In the 1990s, he left Kanpur, the city of his birth. Nevertheless, the chaotic city with its unfair share of comedy and sardonic one-liners continues to impact his work despite their split up, separation, and the passing of the decades.
Manjul enjoys talking about his hometown and how it embodies the region’s train route, which runs between Delhi and Lucknow. “Unlike Lucknow, we are neither unduly polite nor as brazen as Delhi. Humor in Kanpur is modest. It isn’t too direct or toxic, but it is…,” he stumbles, trying to find the appropriate English word.
Eventually, Kanpur’s meticulously kept terminology proves to be helpful. In our self-deprecating city of closed mills, load shedding, and traffic jams, where humor helps one to live, our favorite past time is something called Chikayi, he explains.
No, Chikayi doesn’t bully. It loosely translates to “leg-pulling,” but even that doesn’t fully express the depth of the banter and repartee heard at Kanpur’s numerous gumtis, or little booths along a marketplace, where every evening some unfortunate target meets the mocking barbs of many. The day’s bakra became encircled at an adda.
The ground in Colombo recently during the Asia Cup had the atmosphere of a Kanpur gumti with the youngster from the city, Kuldeep Yadav, leading the Chikayi. He was accompanied by close-in fielders Ishan Kishan, Shubhman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and wicketkeeper KL Rahul. The Lankan batters were their goal that evening.
The rarest of all bowlers is Kuldeep. The majority of left-arm spinners utilize their fingers. They’re known as orthodox. Few people use their wrists, like Kuldeep.
‘Kuldeep the bowler’ is capable of coming up with a biting rejoinder, just like the incisive and quick-witted individuals from his birthplace.
A powerful turner disguised as a loopy delivery pitched outside the right-hander’s off-stump would be the counterpunch to a batsman who plays a booming drive through extra cover and would silence him for the day.
India needed to defeat Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup match in order to guarantee their spot in the championship game. The perilous Sadeera Samarawickrama was at the crease. Something appeared to be cooking as Kuldeep entered the game to bowl. Rahul encircled the left-arm spinner with his arm. They appeared to be planning a plot.
Kuldeep would stroll up to the stumps during the subsequent over as he bowled from over the wicket. He concealed the ball inside his cocked wrist, which was attached to his constantly ticking brain. He launched his catchline, or takia kalaam, a well-flew ball outside that was ripe with opportunity.
In the preceding ball, Samarawickrama had appeared unsteady while defending a twisting ball while glued to the crease. The batsman would prance down the track, Kuldeep knew. He did.
It is foolish. It’s too late by the time he realizes it. Kuldeep slowed down and missed the ball by a short distance. Samarawickrama is struck by Rahul, and the fielders laugh.
Chikai was engaging in cricket-style leg-pulling. Kuldeep wore his characteristically sinister smirk on his face. India would participate in the adda for this World Cup and they are hoping to laugh when Kuldeep smiles.
The Chinaman from Kanpur is expressive, but his attitude is considerably different from that of Shane Warne, his idol.
The late Australian icon was known as Hollywood because he enjoyed drama. With his strikingly blonde hair and larger-than-life presence, Warne made it clear that danger was always present.
Kuldeep doesn’t exaggerate his abilities or provide a warning. Again, that is a characteristic of Kanpur. Here, clever sallys and deft wordplay are used to win arguments.
Because of its fixation with superiority, Kanpur has come to value cunning and deception throughout the years. The most well-known candy store in the area is called Thaggu ke Laddu and takes great satisfaction in defrauding even customers’ family. Their slogan is “Aisa koi sagaa nahi, jisko humne thagaa nahi.”
The national award-winning movie Katiyabaaz is about an electrical theft in the nation’s load-shedding capital. Bunty aur Babli, a film about a con couple that was directed by a local teenager named Shaad Ali, was the city’s contribution to Bollywood.
