But Mann is no common man. From a celebrated comedian to a parliamentarian and now the CM face of a party that is among the contenders to win Punjab, the 48-year-old has seen one success after another. Mann was 38 when he joined the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), an experiment to “cleanse politics” by Manpreet Badal, the estranged cousin of current Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal; and 41when he won his maiden Lok Sabha election in 2014 with a record margin against Akali stalwart S S Dhinsa from Sangrur, a seat he bagged again in 2019.

Born into a landed Jat Sikh family of Satoj village in Sangur, with land of 15 acres and Akali leanings, Mann’s first brush with fame came in his late teens when he enrolled for B.Com in 1991. Soon he was a star standup comedian at youth festivals, when few knew about his genre. A year on, he dropped out to pursue a career in comedy, releasing his first cassette at 19. What followed was a dream run with a host of successful television series and movies, till he switched to full-time politics.

Family and friends say he is popular at all levels. Mann’s mother Harpal Kaur recounts how he would have people in splits even when he was all of ten. Laughter was a balm to the family that had lost Mann a six-year-old brother, Mewa, to cancer, a painful memory that inspired him to found an NGO for children.

In youth fests, what set his rumour apart was his political satire. Mann says he inherited his interest in politics from his father, a school teacher and post graduate in political science, who would keep the radio tuned to political commentaries and election results. As he is fond of recounting, he was in class seven when he learnt the full form of the DMK and AIADMK, not a mean accomplishment in these parts.

Even now, most people in India’s comedy scene steer clear of politics, and resultant controversies. Fewer still succeed in hitting home with those jokes across social groups. But not Mann. Around election time in the 1990s, Mann’s cassettes would be chartbusters, with bus drivers playing them on a loop.

When he veered towards politics, he decided he couldn’t go with traditional politics as he wanted to change the system, Mann says. So when Manpreet Badal approached him after formation of the PPP in 2011, he found Mann willing.

Once in public life, Mann embraced Shaheed Bhagat Singh, his writings, and his yellow turban, making it a point to visit his memorial at Khatkar Kalan (Punjab) in 2014 after becoming an MP on an AAP ticket. “I said I can’t do what Bhagat Singh did (exploding a bomb on the premises of the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi)” but “I will throw bombs of my wit in Parliament).

In 2013, AAP, till then known only for its anti-corruption campaign against the UPA in Delhi, turned its attention against the UPA to Punjab, and, seeking credible faces to make an impact, tapped Mann. In March, 2013, Mann joined AAP, a month after Kejriwal got in touch with him and said he wanted to team up with the PPP. “My idol Bhagat Singh didn’t get along with the Congress before Independence. How could I choose them?” Mann says. (IPA Service)