Humour stories? Are you tired of your daily routine and looking for some relief from the boring grind? At such times, all you need is a change of thinking. So I have curated a list of 11 Indian humour stories on a platter for you. Reading these books will cheer you as nothing else will. You will forget any boredom or gloom. Read humour stories anytime or in your travel and feel the change!
Humour is a tricky genre for an author to explore. Did you know Indian authors have written novels in the humour genre? In a good humour book, the author’s narrative can either be witty, amusing or rib-tickling. The Indian characters and setting in these novels are relatable. So chances are you might find them familiar. You can visualize the culture, people, and situations in these Indian novels. So read further and find a treasure!
Best Indian humour stories for young adults to read
Moonstone
- Author: Atul Gupta
- Publisher: APK Publishers
If you are among those who enjoy reading about college campus events, then this college humour novel will entertain you with its hilarious events and storytelling. The author recounts his days at the IIT, Mumbai, in the early 1990s. He stayed in hostel H6 and had the most memorable days there with his friends and the college events.
Imagine, fifteen years after he left his alma mater, he decided to write a book on his epic college memories so others would have fun reading it. Atul Gupta’s storytelling is flowy and catchy so you will find yourself happily reading the complete book.
Mrs Funnybones
- Author: Twinkle Khanna
- Published by Penguin Books India
This celebrity author has connections with the Hindi movie industry. Yet writing is her passion. Her witty writing style yet self-deprecating humour makes her work distinct. Regular columns in popular newspapers and magazines connect her with her reader fans. She’s been an interior designer and acted in a few movies too.
Also read: 9 Indian female authors of English fiction.
A devoted mother of two, she looks at her daily life with a sense of amusement and witty humour. Her narrative will make you wonder how normal her life is despite being a celebrity. Her witty and satirical perspective inspires readers to be cheerful about their lives.
Tongue-in-cheek
- Author: Khyrunnisa A.
- Published by Westland
This is a collection of author Khyrunnisa’s humour column in a news daily. The humour is about everyday things and living in Trivandrum, a city in the southern part of India. Her delightful humorous perspective of mundane scenes will amaze you.
Khyrunnisa was an English teacher before she took to writing. She is a popular author of several children’s books. Yet, this book is different as the book is for grown-ups of all ages. Being an English teacher earlier, the language in her books is impeccable.
Life of Being HR… Humour Resource
- Author: Rahul Jain
- Publisher: Adhyyan Books
The author Rahul Jain has worked as an HR professional in various industries for more than two decades. While he has handled a variety of extra responsibilities in his profession, he also takes out time to convey his learning through lectures and forums.
Also read: Best HR Books for Beginners
He is the recipient of awards, practises healing techniques like reiki and draws cartoon caricatures in his free time. This HR humour book is the byproduct of his experience as an HR professional coupled with his sense of humour. If you are a student or a professional, this book will not only give you insights but also entertain you with the author’s humorous interpretations.
The Unproposed Guy
- Author: Bhavik Sarkhedi and Suhana Bhambhani
- Publisher: Inkstate
- Pages: 190
- Star: 4.5 out of 5
As a young adult, you know how adulting feels. You have to deal with new adult situations and the feelings that arise in the circumstances.
One of the adulting tasks is to get a life partner to share your adult journey. Another task is to get a good job or become self-employed. You need to find the right ground and get a firm steady foothold.
So, the story is about a young guy named Kevin who has a great sense of humour. Ideally, a guy with a good sense of humour will find it easy to impress a girl. Right?
But real life is not always ideal, so our guy Kevin finds it difficult to impress a girl. Only guys love his funny side while girls stay away.
Disheartened despite being the funny guy, Kevin also has to deal with finding his passion in work. How does Kevin find his passion and enjoy his work? Does he manage to get the girl of his dreams? Get this book and read this wonderfully relatable story about adulting.
A Spoonful Of Curds
- Author: Bharati Jagannathan
- Publisher: Harpercollins India
These are a collection of twelve humour short stories with the flavour of a South Indian home and its neighbourhood. India is a country of diverse cultures with a variety of regional languages, food habits and so on. So when people live in a housing complex, the flavours of these various states merge into one melting pot.
Also read: Best books of Sudha Murthy for teenagers and adults.
In this novel, you will read touching stories that are humorous and emotional. The stories are about Tamil culture, families ties, neighbours, divorce, separation, social stereotypes, myths, and much more. The theme of this social humour is societal stereotypes, family dynamics and ethnic peculiarities presented in light-hearted funny stories.
Excess Baggage
- Author: Richa S Mukherjee
- Publisher: Black Ink
If you are someone who loves to read humour in parent-adult child stories, then this book is perfect for you. This is the story of twice-married Anviksha Punjabi and her mother Smita Punjabi who aren’t Punjabis because they are Sindhis.
Extended family and two pets are also part of the story but the mother and daughter are the central characters. Anviksha is in the middle of breaking her second marriage and wants to go on a trip to Europe for a change but her mother insists on accompanying her.
Also read: Must-read books of Jhumpa Lahiri.
Both have their share of E-baggage (no, not electronic it’s emotional) yet the author’s storytelling and characterisation are humorous. The author will make you laugh your way through the book even as she makes you reflect.
The Wedding Photographer
- Author: Sukshama Puri Dhariwal
- Publisher: Penguin Books
This is an Indian novel with a romantic comedy set at a Punjabi wedding. The protagonist Risha Kohli meets Arjun Khanna on her flight to the wedding venue when her ticket gets upgraded to business class. Risha is on her photoshoot gig at the wedding and Arjun, a real estate tycoon, is the bride’s brother. The storytelling is engaging, witty, and fun.
Onam in a Nightie
- Author: Anjana Menon
- Publisher: Harper Collins India
These are clean humour stories from Kerala during the COVID-19 first quarantine when everybody was forced to stay home/indoors. The author is originally from Thrissur in Kerala, so when the pandemic hit the world she preferred moving from Noida to her hometown in God’s own country.
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What we find in this book are more like diary notes, observations and opinions of the author giving glimpses of Kerala and the North-South cultural divide. Here comes the humour part. It’s the author’s perspective and narration that brings in the humour.
If you are from Kerala, you might feel nostalgic while reading this book and if from outside, you will get to know about Kerala’s rich traditions, lovely families and food.
Fried and Fired
- Author: Ritesh Agarwal
- Publisher: Notion Press
This is an HR humour novel about a young techie named Manish, who has to go through several ups and downs at his workplace. Though the story gives you various insights into office politics in the corporate world, the author’s narrative is humorous so you are sure to enjoy reading the book. You will read about funny office politics, favouritism, and much more. The book is engaging, thought-provoking yet hilarious.
Lights! Wedding! Ludhiana!
- Author: Jas Kohli
- Publisher: Rupa Publications
Author Jas Kohli also happens to be a medical doctor yet this is his third novel. Being from Ludhiana, the author is well aware of the Punjabi culture. In this wedding humour novel, he brings to the readers a Panjabi family of three attending a wedding in Ludhiana.
Also read: Humourous stories for kids by Indian authors.
The husband Kushal Raheja is an industrialist and a passionate environmentalist, while his wife Reeti Raheja is a show-off and loves to spend money. Their young son Lakshya is mischievous and discovers something that he shouldn’t be speaking out.
Now on an occasion like a wedding when so many relatives and friends congregate, what ripples do the little boy’s adventures create? Read this satirical humour story to find more details.
Closing lines
Having found some good Indian humour stories you know what to read when you need a change. When things get too serious or overwhelming, read these best relatable Indian funny stories and change the mood.
Further reading: The beneficial effect of humour and more ways to bring cheer into our lives.
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