Episode Details

The Little Voices Keeping Punjabi Culture Alive in Australia — Laughter Therapy | Tuesday, 3 March 2026 | Radio Haanji 1674 AM

Ask any Punjabi parent in Australia what they quietly worry about when raising children in a new country, and the answer comes quickly — that their children will grow up not knowing who they are. Not knowing the language. Not knowing the bolian their nani sang, the bujaratan their dada loved, or the chutkule that made every family gathering fall apart in laughter. On Tuesday morning, Laughter Therapy on Radio Haanji 1674 AM answered that fear in the most joyful way possible — one young caller at a time.

A Morning Ritual That Means More Than It Looks

To a stranger, Laughter Therapy might sound like a simple morning show where children call in and share jokes. And on the surface, that is exactly what it is. But spend a few mornings listening on Radio Haanji 1674 AM and something else becomes clear — this is a programme that is quietly doing the work of cultural preservation that no classroom, no textbook and no government policy can fully replicate.

When a child growing up in Melbourne calls into this show and speaks in Punjabi — confidently, naturally, with chutkule and bolian rolling off their tongue as though they were born saying them — they are doing something their community has been trying to do for generations in diaspora. They are proving that it is possible to be fully Australian and fully Punjabi at the same time. That the two identities do not compete. That laughter is a language that crosses every border without losing a single word in translation.

Hosts Ranjodh Singh and Sukh Parmar held that space with warmth and energy on Tuesday morning, and the community showed up in full voice.

The Faces Behind the Voices — This Show's Most Loyal Young Stars

Every great show has its regulars — the familiar voices that listeners look forward to hearing, the personalities that give a programme its soul. On Laughter Therapy, those voices belong to the children, and Tuesday's episode was graced by some of the most enthusiastic young participants this show has.

Among those who called in and made the morning brighter were Gurpal Singh, Mannat, Fateh Singh, Manraj S Aujla, Aarza, Jasmine Kaur, Bani Kaur, Asees Kaur, Ronish, Basant Lal, Narinder Sahmi, Ramanpreet Jassowal, the Benipal Brothers, Sehib Sanwar and Kismat — young members of the Punjabi community in Australia who have become familiar and beloved voices on Radio Haanji 1674 AM.

These are not just callers. They are regular participants who show up week after week, episode after episode, giving this show its heartbeat. Some are bold and confident, some are sweet and measured, but every single one of them brings something real — the kind of authenticity you simply cannot script or manufacture. They call in with their chutkule, their bolian, their bujaratan, their energy, and their absolute willingness to make every person listening smile before their day has properly begun.

For parents of these children, hearing your son or daughter's voice on radio — speaking Punjabi, being celebrated by their community — is one of those moments that stays with you. And for the children themselves, being a regular participant on Australia's favourite Punjabi comedy podcast is something they will carry wit