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How to make people laugh in the times of coronavirus
Standup comedians Sorabh Pant, Neeti Palta and Rohan Joshi talk about what they think lies ahead of the comedy scene in India post Coronavirus and how it has affected the industry so far
From only a few kids on the block to a large majority wanting to take the plunge, the Indian comedy scene has come a long way. But just as artistes across genres seem to be getting affected by the lockdown due to Covid-19, comedians too are dealing with the changes.
“Like any other industry, comedy too is going to struggle during this time. But we have the advantage of the internet. I don’t think we are really in a place to sit and complain because everyone is suffering. We will just have to make the best of what we currently have by creating as much content as we can to entertain people who are stuck inside their homes,” says comedian Sorabh Pant.
Another standup comedian Neeti Palta reiterates Pant about how “everyone is suffering”. She adds, “It is a very difficult time for performing arts. But as comedians it is also difficult for us to sit idle. People are putting out jokes, memes, and building and retaining their current customer base. The OTT platforms are very open to series, so comedians can think of selling their stuff to them. Some of us are also working on the Circuit Comedy Festival which is going digitally live. Everyone learns to adapt and I am sure we will learn to do new things. The good thing is content is being consumed vociferously right now because people are sitting in their homes and that in itself is an opportunity.”
Comedian Rohan Joshi, who too will be taking part in the Circuit Comedy Festival says, “I’m on the roast and a storytelling show. I’m quite looking forward to both because they’re completely different shows. Roasts are built on killer one liners while storytelling is the opposite.” Reflecting on the current crisis, Joshi adds, “I think at this point exploring the online medium to create content or do shows is the way forward for the short term.”
