Reporter: Ranjani Raghavan

A GOOD laugh works for most ages, but old people – above 45 years of age, at least have been known to dominate city laughter clubs. …

“Our agenda now is to go to the younger people. They are the most stressed out lot and do not know where the problem lies. Eighty percent of the problem is psychosomatic. The young think that they have no time to be happy. But all tensions, stress, depression will disappear once they understand laughter, “ Tiloo said.

Woman flock to Laughter club convention:

WHEN Brazilian Mari Tereza N. Vieira first attended the laughter training sessions of the Mumbai-based laughter club pioneer, Madan Kataria, she was shy and inhibited. “She would laugh softly, slowly and deliberately –Ha-Ha-Ha. Now she has evolved very well,” Kataria said.

“Women in Brazil do not laugh, they smile”, said Mari Tereza, 54, who started the first laughter club with Ursula L. Kirchner, 61, nearly five years ago in March 2004. Tereza and Dr. Kirchner, vivacious and looking much younger than their ages conducted a session at the Ganesh Kala Krida Rangmanch, where they explained the different types of Brazilian laughter. “When I told my parents that I want to start a laughter club, they were upset. They asked “why don’t  you start a smiling club instead?” Mari said.  “We started with just the both of us. Now we have more than 50 members in the club and nearly halt of them are women” said Ursula. For Mari and Ursula too, time has changed things. “When Mari told her family that she was going to the club one early morning, they asked their family members to go along saying <your mama has gone mad" Ursula said. “Now people have gotten used to the idea" , she said.