New Delhi, Jan 2 (PTI) The Delhi government's Art, Culture, and Languages Department, in association with the tourism department, is organising two comedy and poetry festivals this week, an official statement said on Tuesday.

Comedians and poets like Sunil Grover, Ahsaan Qureshi, Ashok Chakradhar, Ashok Gemini, among others, are slated to perform in these festivals with free entry to the shows, it said.

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Through these festivals, the state government aims to address the "emotional well-being" of its citizens and aspires to help them experience the therapeutic power of laughter.

The Delhi government has unveiled a week-long celebration of laughter and humour - the "Hasya Rang Utsav" which will be followed by the "Laughter Weekend."

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"These festivals are not just about entertainment; they are about building connections, fostering unity, and setting a positive tone for the times ahead," Tourism-Art-Culture Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said.

Organised by the Sahitya Kala Parishad, the cultural wing of the Delhi government, Hasya Rang Utsav is being held at the Kamani Auditorium from January 2-4.

The festival opened on Tuesday with a gig by comedian Ahsaan Qureshi, the runner-up of 'The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.' The act will be followed by two hilarious plays 'Mera Pati Salman Khan' and 'Hakim.com.'

The day two of the festival will see an act by 'India's Laughter Champion' champion Rajat Sood, and two comedy plays - 'Hayee Padosan' and 'Zindagi Once More,' the statement said.

The concluding day of the festival will see a performance by the renowned comedian Raja Rancho and another comedy play 'Andhere Mein,' directed by Sunil Rawa.

The festival will continue on Friday and Saturday in Ambedkar Auditorium on Janpath with the Laughter Weekend.

Renowned artiste Sunil Grover, famous as "Gutthi" in the show 'Comedy Nights with Kapil,' will perform on Friday.

On the concluding evening on Saturday, the Hasya Kavi Sammelan will feature Ashok Chakradhar, Arun Gemini, and several other poets.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)