Synopsis

To improve its quickly-declining global image, the American Senate asks comedian Albert Brooks to write a 500-page document about what makes Muslims in India and Pakistan laugh. Bidding adieu to his wife and young daughter, and accompanied by two government bureaucrats, Albert opens up an office in New Delhi, hires a pretty secretary, Maya, and goes around asking random people what makes them laugh. In general the people eye him suspiciously and refuse to answer any questions. He then decides to go public and stage a comedy show, suggesting old Delhi for the publicity. Accordingly the four re-locate, book a school auditorium to seat about 400 people, go around the city distributing leaflet inviting the general public to attend the show. They get a houseful, but Albert's comedy act fails to impress them. He then decides to try his hand in Pakistan, but is told that he cannot get a visa for another 14 days. He decides to enter Pakistan illegally and meets some wannabe comedians, guarded by armed men, in a secret location near the border. Although he does get to their funny bones, Albert does not get any answers, and returns back to Delhi crestfallen. To make matters worse, Maya informs him that she has enough material to write about 4 pages. Unknown to Albert, his presence in India and his underground trip to Pakistan have not gone unnoticed by the Indian and Pakistani governments, and both plan to increase their troop presence near the volatile border area; and to create more complications for Albert, Maya tells him that she wants to break up with her boyfriend and she thinks telling him she has fallen for Albert will work. Things look up for Albert when Al-Jazeera television invites him for an interview; he attends the meeting with high hopes of entering the Muslim world through this popular TV network.—rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

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