Mumbai, Jan. 7 -- With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) going to polls, citizens' pet peeves - potholes, dug-up roads, poor air quality, or piling garbage - are taking centre stage. But among the otherwise weary average Mumbaikars, is a cohort that owes at least a part of its success to the BMC and everything it takes the flak for. The city's stand-up comics acknowledge that their comedy careers are in BMC's debt. One of Aditya Gundeti's viral reels posted in January 2024 was titled 'How road work is planned in Mumbai'. It garnered 6.9 million views on Instagram and was shared over 85,000 times. In the video, Gundeti pretends to be a sadistic civic official who decides which roads to dig only to be tickled by the plight of inconvenienced citizens. "I never said who it was, it was the viewers who started tagging the BMC," said Gundeti, an Andheri West resident, eternally peeved about dug up roads. "Issues like roads and AQI affect me too. As citizens we never understand why the BMC digs the same road over and over. But you can't discuss these same issues with your wife and parents every day. So, I discussed it in my videos and it resonated with people. Like they say, 'dukh baantne se kamm hota hai,' (Pain eases when you share it)" he says tongue firmly in cheek. Gundeti does not shy away from thanking the BMC for the part it played in bringing him his 143,000 followers on Instagram. "I think of it as a rebate on the taxes I pay to the BMC. There's nothing else I'm getting so I might as well take the (social media) followers," he said. With the civic election only days away, promises to make the BMC more efficient are flying thick and fast among political parties contesting the 227 seats across 24 municipal wards in Mumbai. But the city's comics aren't losing sleep over content inspiration if any of these promises materialise. While some comics call the BMC the 'gift that keeps on giving', for others it's a 'renewable source' of viral content. It's hard for Siddhartha Shetty to shake off the sarcasm. Even off stage, the comic who specialises in the nuances of the MaKaBo (Malad-Kandivali-Borivali) region, maintains he is the BMC's "biggest fan." "BMC is the Rolls Royce of municipal corporations. You can't beat a Rolls Royce now, can you?" While the BMC regularly inspires his content, Shetty who has 229,000 Instagram followers, has variously described dug-up roads as "deep space exploration sites," Takeshi's castle or the sets of 'Dune 2'. He often says that the people of Mumbai don't appreciate the BMC which is way ahead of its time. "I am appalled by the fact that people are always criticising them. You have to ask what you are doing for the municipal corporation?" asked Shetty with a straight face. "If the roads become great, potholes disappear, where's the hustle? What's the point? It won't be the maximum city anymore. It'll be minimal (discomfort)." An engineer-turned-comic, Shetty once worked for a company that supplied construction equipment to some of the BMC's marquee road projects. "Maybe the BMC should just give Mumbaikars good roads once and for all. They'll be bored in a year and ask the BMC to dig them up again," said Shetty. Amid fragile sensibilities, comedians tread carefully. But rueing over the many things that make a Mumbaikar's daily existence daunting, has, in many ways been a unifier, comics say. "At a time when almost everything can be polarising, roads, potholes, and AQI are in fact uniting people. Because these are things that people can see for themselves," said Punit Pania who is not afraid to veer towards political content. "No one hounds you over these issues. Detractors and trolls are a part of life but nobody is hounding you with threats of FIRs over these things. No backlash at all," said Pania, who has nearly 72,000 followers on Instagram. He agreed that comedy can be a powerful tool to drive home a message. "Masses are too caught up in day-to-day life to worry about potholes and AQI. But if you can sway a few people who have a voice and privilege then the discourse changes," said Pania. The comic has spoken of blacklisted contractors bagging new contracts in his comedy sets. He isn't worried about BMC turning too efficient and depriving comedians of fodder. "There will be some cosmetic changes at the most," he said. Gundeti said a very small percentage of his viewers were offended over BMC-related content. "Most people support it and it resonates with people," he said. "It's important that people take the civic election seriously. In the age of the internet, you can't say you don't know the candidate. If you vote, you have a right to question the administration, and I too can make more content if I vote."...