Khandavaneh, an uplifting entertainment programme on national state television, is successfully introducing standup to TV viewers in Iran
Iranians enjoy making a joke out of pretty much anything and sharing it on their smartphones, a habit some indulge in on a daily basis. And in a country with a restrictive political atmosphere, satire has gained a function beyond simple entertainment.
Now, standup comedy is being brought into Iranian homes through a new show on state TV. Khandavaneh, which translates as laughmelon (a combination of laugh and watermelon), broadcast on the Nasim comedy channel on a number of evenings each week, has proved a huge hit. The programme is hosted by Rambod Javan, a well-known satirist popular with young people, who invites other Iranian comedians to perform standup and compete with each other on the show.
This article was written by Saeed Kamali Dehghan for The Guardian on Sep. 30, 2015. Saeed Kamali Dehghan is a staff journalist with the Guardian. He has previously written from the Iranian capital, Tehran.