‘Where Has Our Laughter Gone?’ Martin ‘Flubber’ D’Souza Brings International Clown Festival To Mumbai

Why would someone with a B.Sc (Physics) and an MBA in Marketing, decide to leave it and pursue Clowning as a career? That’s the question we thought of asking Martin ’Flubber’ D’Souza who while in college, was compering at weddings and birthday parties, until the day came when a client asked him if he would ‘dress’ as a clown for a circus theme party. “So thus began my career as a clown and doing clown shows. My friends thought I was mad. Thus was born Mad Hatters. What began as an interest slowly became a passion and then a profession. Over the years, Flubber took me into theatres, schools, birthday parties, corporate events, hospitals and communities. What started with one clown has grown into a larger purpose, which is to bring the art and philosophy of clowning to people of all ages,” D’Souza shares.

Martin has spent over half his life as a clown having traveled the world, showcasing his clowning skills. He was also the former Vice President of World Clown Association, part of International Jugglers Association, Indian Society of Magicians and recipient of the prestigious International Clown of the Year award (2016) from the World Clown Association (WCA). While he was in college, he did research on clowning and later also studied at the University of Wisconsin on a full scholarship.

Visit h-doctor.club for more information.

Audiences across Navi Mumbai and Bandra are in for a super treat this month and next, when D’Souza brings in clowns from the Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Spain and Japan and India all dressed up in colorful costumes with a generous dose of humor, a lot of physical comedy, magic, music, mime, juggling, and audience interaction.

D’Souza has kept the theme for the 2026 edition, “The Search for Lost Laughter,” having found that in today's fast-moving digital world, people are spending more time on screens and less time truly laughing together. “In this modern age of cell phones and digital distractions, personal interaction has taken a back seat. We are constantly stressed, busy and connected, yet somehow less connected to each other. A good, hearty laugh has become a rare occasion. I think we need to rediscover it,” D’Souza explains, while adding that children already know where to find laughter.

“They can find it in play, innocence and being together. Adults have become too busy and have forgotten it. We need to slow down, reconnect with each other and learn not to take life quite so seriously.” But then what are the reasons laughter has been lost? “The need for speed, competition, the constant need to keep up, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and the pressure to always achieve something. We have forgotten the simple joy of just being and playing,” says the former Xaverite.

In a world filled with stress, conflict and uncertainty, D’Souza claims that laughter can be a form of healing. “Laughter breaks down barriers. It makes us feel lighter, more connected and more human. In that sense, laughter can be deeply healing. A lot of stand-up today can lean towards insult or observational comedy. But clowning is different. It is innocent, physical and playful, and it can be enjoyed by the whole family, from children, parents and grandparents together.”

Now in its 12th edition, the Indian audience has clearly responded positively to D’Souza’ Clown Festival year after year, for according to him, there are very few live, family-friendly comedy experiences where children, parents and grandparents can sit together and simply have a hearty laugh. “I think that is what people are looking for. Performing arts in India are receiving much greater recognition and appreciation today. Clowning has also evolved in its costumes, presentation and skills. It has moved beyond the traditional stage and birthday party into schools, hospitals and communities,” says the 57-year-old who lives in Mumbai with his wife Roshni. “I think live performance has an advantage. When someone is sitting in a live audience, they become part of the experience. The barriers come down, the people around them influence them, and they allow themselves to let loose. You cannot replicate that collective experience with a reel or a meme.”

While the festival brings in international clowns from across the world, it also has a few Indian clowns who are part of the crew. D’Souza hopes to have an Indian Clown Festival or even a TLC: The Laugh Convention, which he says is “a dream of mine”. “It would go beyond clowning to include comedy, mime, puppetry, juggling and many other performance skills.”

Speaking on his international crew, D’Souza states that the level of skill and experience from abroad is tremendous. “Many international clowns perform at festivals across Europe and Latin America, so they bring different cultures, styles and traditions of clowning. That diversity makes the festival richer with the result when different clowning traditions meet on one stage the common language is laughter. Despite our different cultures and styles, we can come together, understand each other and create one unified show for laughter that needs no translation.”

Behind every clown is a human being who observes the world differently. How much of clowning is actually about understanding human behaviour, we quiz the entertainer who has a ready answer. “There are three layers to clowning. First is the character or persona where the clown is actually an exaggerated version of oneself. Second is the garnishing of skills like juggling, magic, mime and comedy. And third is performance where the clown enters a situation, discovers a challenge and finds his own unique way of overcoming it. Importantly, the clown doesn't make fun of himself or the audience. He finds the humour in the situation.”

Clowning is often associated with children, but D’Souza’s festival speaks to audiences of all ages, including adults who rediscover their young days through clowning, for D’Souza believes that laughter is universal, play is universal. “One of the most beautiful things we see is how children enjoy watching their parents laugh and let loose. When adults give themselves permission to play, children see a different side of them.”

One question that D’Souza is fed up of answering to people is why he chose clowning as his profession. To answer this, last month he released his autobiography ‘The Boy Who Laughed Too Much’, the title that answers the question why his school teacher always threw him out of class.

After dedicating almost a lifetime to bringing laughter to others, clowning has taught D’Souza that life is fun. “You don't have to go looking for happiness, it is all around you. We just need to slow down, notice it and take one day at a time,” he signs off.

How Marathi Theatre Became A Legacy Of Innovation And Reinvention

The International Clown Festival 2026 taking place this month and the next is built around one simple question: Where has our laughter gone? This year's festival invites audiences on a joyful adventure called The Search for Lost Laughter. Rather than presenting disconnected comedy acts, the entire experience follows a playful storyline in which Martin “Flubber” D’Souza and his international team of clowns travel across imaginary worlds searching for the missing laughter of humanity. In an age where children are growing up with endless entertainment, memes and reels, yet genuine shared laughter within families is becoming increasingly rare.

The International Clown Festival 2026 hopes to bring laughter to everyone again.

The Free Press Journal is the Media Partner for the International Clown Festival.

Event: International Clown Festival

Navi Mumbai Dates: 26th & 27th September 2026

Venue: CIDCO Exhibition & Convention Centre, Navi Mumbai

Mumbai Dates: 17th & 18th October 2026

Venue: St. Andrew's Auditorium, Bandra

Read full story at source