Tarlok Singh Chugh – A King of Comedy Born near Nankana Sahib
By C. Naseer Ahmad
Washington, DC
“ Laughter is the best medicine,” Readers Digest fans might remember. In case some people have forgotten this good advice there is Tarlok Singh Chugh - born in a village near Sikhism holy site Nankana Sahib, Pakistan – actively promoting health and wellness through humor and laughter to cope with the stresses of modern life and the agonizing lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic.
Tarlok Singh has become an internet star whose clever but very civil jokes in Punjabi spread like wildfire on the social media. He is a sought-after guest on many television channels and cultural events in Canada, US and other countries. Nowadays during the Coronavirus, he keeps his friends and audiences entertained either in the open area with social distancing like the West Wind Prairie Park near the Nur Mosque in Calgary – where he has many friends - or from the comfort of his cozy home.
Comedians play an important role in keeping harmony and goodwill in society as long as the jokes are not demeaning, divisive, and notintended for personal harm. Tarlok Singh’s jokes are refined and tell how, as human beings, we have so much in common,.
Though not a professional comedian, Mr Chugh delivers the punch line with an engineer’s precision that only a professional can achieve so unfailingly. By watching the video clips of Tarlok Singh’s performances and interviews, it becomes evident that he is one of those lucky people who are not in need of material things; he seems to be blessed with everything, and, above all, a deep love for humanity in his heart.
A direct conversation with Tarlok Singh gives the feeling of having known him throughout life. It is, perhaps, because his heart is reflecting a mirroring image of the person talking to him. There is ample genuine goodness in Tarlok Singh. When he received the author’s call the other day, he was walking with his friend who’s an aspiring Punjabi poet in Calgary. So, he handed over the phone to his friend who shared his latest Punjabi poem. Moments later, Tarlok Singh was with Sardar Satvinder Singh, another Calgary community leader, and let him join the conversation as well.
To gauge Tarlok Singh’s impact, the readers should know that Punjabi is the third most spoken language in the United Kingdom and the fifth most spoken language in Canada where he lives. Keeping in mind that there are an estimated 125 million Punjabi-speaking people around the world and with the availability of the internet and the mobile phones, Tarlok Singh’s jokes have become viral rapidly.
People feel attached to Tarlok Singh. To cite an example, not long ago a Forestry official in Pakistan called Tarlok Singh, saying: “I have just parked my car and I am now in the village you were born in.” Healthy relationships exist when there is mutual respect. “The thing I like about my Pakistani Muslim friends is that they always end the conversation with ‘Humeain apni duaoon mein yad rakhein’ – please remember us in your prayers; that is something I truly like,” said Tarlok Singh in a recent conversation with the author. When people run into Tarlok Singh, they can’t help but mention the jokes he is known for. And, around town, he is everyone’s favorite “Uncle Chutkalay.”
For those who are open to learning, there are many instructive things in Tarlok Singh’s life story. Always self-effacing, he credits his success and education to others. Like all migrants during the Partition, Tarlok Singh and his family suffered dislocation, first moving to Ludhiana and then to Chandigarh. He became a production engineer because the leading politician in Chandigarh fought with the Federal Government in India to establish the Punjab Engineering College. This fact alone ought to inform the readers why Indian immigrants have achieved an astounding success in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the US.
Tarlok Singh worked as a production engineer in India’s Ministry of Defense for fifteen years. Although he applied several times to immigrate to Canada he was rejected each time he filed an application. He was well established and did not need to migrate when finally one day his immigration application to Canada was approved. Tarlok Singh moved to Canada in 1981 with his wife and two sons to begin a new life. This should tell the readers about the value of both perseverance as well as taking risks for a better future.
An erudite individual with a quick wit and a phenomenal memory, Tarlok Singh has the ability to instantly recite Mirza Ghalib and other Urdu poets’ couplets when the moment arrives in any conversation. He does so in a smooth way to facilitate the dialogue.
Spreading laughter has been Tarlok Singh’s mission since he was born. Even as a young adult he was known to enliven any gathering by remembering and telling his jokes for entertainment. Migration from Pakistan to India, and then from India to Canada kept Tarlok Singh’s from being able to pursue his life-long passion of comedy. It was only after retirement, at the age of 75, that Tarlok Singh was able to devote the time necessary to his comedic talents. Almost immediately he became a world-wide phenomenon with his videos being shared across YouTube, WhatsApp, TikTok, FaceBook and Instagram.
There are both grace and elegance in how Tarlok Singh goes about his new mission in life. For the eyes, the color of the cravats and their patterns match tastefully with the turbans on his head. For the ears and the mind, the pitch of his voice and the delivery as well as the timing of the punch line are potent. He is very calm and deliberate in triggering uncontrollable laughter. Above all, Tarlok Singh’s true wholesome spirit shines in his sign-off:
“Hasde raho, wasde raho, zindagi zindabad!”
In other words, “be happy, thrive and here’s to life!”
