Get that pun-chline right: Who's got the smartest pun?

Participants at an comedy meet-up organised by the community

Who doesn't enjoy a good pun? Who wouldn't spot the intentional use of an aberration, homophone or idiom to misrepresent the apparent meaning of a phrase or sentence? Who wouldn't be up for word-induced chuckles? In a first, the Kommune community that's known to host poets, singers and storytellers, is organising Pungama, a competition for smart puns.

Describing the format for the event, Shantanu Anand, who handles public relations for Kommune, says, "We deal in words and when someone pitched this unique idea to us, we thought of giving it a try. There will be 12 participants in total. A common theme will be given to them in each of the three rounds, and they have to be at their punny best in 10 seconds."

A performer takes the mic at a previous event

Based on hits and misses, a total of six participants will be chosen from these 12. The chosen six will fight it out in teams of two. "This competition is not just about thinking on your feet, but also about holding a straight face. If your opponent makes you laugh with their utterances, you lose a point. There will also be a short session for the audience to participate in," Anand adds.

Shantanu Anand

So who thought up of the idea? Anand points us to Saya Date. Date shares that pun-offs are quite popular in the West and have caught pace in the past three to four years. She has participated in a few of them, and thought of approaching Kommune to introduce the idea in the Indian scene. This year, Date will be participating in the O Henry pun-off world championships.

On: September 18; 4pm
At: Redbrick Offices, Kaledonia, Andheri East
Log on to: @kommuneity to register
Cost: Rs 199