Educational Media Reviews Online

The Laughing Club of India provides a surprising and refreshing look at yet another way to improve health and happiness: through laugher. The documentary takes us on a tour of several Laughing Clubs in India, in workplaces and social gatherings. We see how laugher is used as healthcare in another culture.

Through the words of Laughing Club participants we experience their joy and sense of peace attained through their Laughing Clubs. Participants tell of how they’ve lightened the stress in their lives through group laughter. All ages, both males and females are club members. Many Laughing Clubs meet daily.

We see how participants use their whole bodies as they laugh. They interact with each other by clapping hands together as they laugh. Participants wave their arms and stretch as they prepare to laugh. Leaders teach members how to produce a repertoire of different styles of laughing. In monkey laughter members actually jump up and down as they laugh.

The founder Dr. Madan Kataria, speaks of how he started the Laughing Club in 1995 from the humor in Readers Digest. At early meetings of the Laughing Clubs, jokes would be exchanged. When members ran out of jokes, they started laughing on their own. Through the film we see how contagious and joyful their laughter is.

When Dr. Kataria gathered a group of patients and neighbors together to meet daily for laugh sessions, he found that the participants experienced improved health and decreased levels of stress. Another benefit of the clubs is that new and lasting friendships were formed. Members bond through laughter as they watch out for each other and share their lives.

We visit various organizations where laughter is used regularly. At a school we see children laughing and smiling continually throughout their session. A widow says the laughter keeps her less nervous and less apt to dwell on the past. We see how a paralyzed man is able to sit in a chair after laughter therapy. One man’s cough went away.

Some claim the laughter makes them feel young. According to one participant, laughter provides fresh air. One plant manager gets better work from his employees because the laughing sessions release tension in the workers.

Today there are hundreds of Laughing Clubs in India, and some in other countries including the U.S. Anyone wishing to start a Laughing Club would be able to do so after watching this film.

The Laughing Club of India is good from a technical standpoint. Subtitles are provided for better comprehension of native speakers. A variety of interesting images and sounds help capture and retain audience interest. The film is organized in a logical and coherent manner and is definitely worth watching.

For information on therapeutic laughter and Laughing Clubs visit World Laughter Tour at http://www.worldlaughtertour.com.