Through his virtual #TalkPositive sessions, the comedian has light-hearted chats with Covid-19 patients who are quarantining alone
Comedian Amit Tandon
American comedian Bob Newhart once said, “The only way to survive is to have a sense of humour.” A dose of laughter is much needed right now, not to escape reality but to be energised to fight a situation that has pulled everyone down. As such, Mumbai-based comedian Amit Tandon has been hosting #TalkPositive to spread cheer among people who have tested positive for coronavirus and are quarantining alone. It is not a comedy show but it does involve humour, says the comedian who is mostly known for observational jokes based on personal experiences. The aim is to have a light-hearted chat, free of cost.
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Mid-Day.com asked the comedian about his initiative. Excerpts from the interview:
What is #TalkPositive series? How did you come up with the idea?
TalkPositive Series is a set of sessions that I have initiated to connect with Covid-affected people who are isolating or home quarantined and are alone. It is just a platform where we connect on a Zoom Call and talk to each other, crack jokes, and discuss casual topics. I came up with the idea because while I have not tested positive for Covid, I am staying home with my family just to be safe and sometimes sitting alone is frustrating. I thought if I am feeling this way, how would those who have tested positive and are alone feel. They might be facing the same issue with more challenges. I thought of using my network to initiate the series and try to make them feel better.
Making people laugh can be tough even in normal circumstances. How are you navigating that challenge in these times?
Yes, it is tough, the main intention of the discussion is to make people comfortable first. The discussion happening in the session is very personal. I don't treat it like a show, I treat it more like I am sitting in the drawing-room with my relatives and talking to them so that everybody loosens up and feels comfortable to open up. They feel happy to see so many faces without a mask so that also brightens up the whole atmosphere. Wherever I see the conversation is going in the negative direction or people are going back to the sad zone I try to crack some jokes here and there and bring them back to the comfort zone.
What are some of those jokes?
A few jokes were on Corona itself. There were conversations on me cooking, so when I started cooking at home my family told me not to, because every time I cook they feel they have corona because the food I make is tasteless. I shared few jokes from my past stand-ups too. There was a guy from the Maldives who was quarantined in a water villa because he tested positive and his wife tested negative, and we all were joking that he is having the best time, fifteen days, free of cost, in a water villa in the Maldives. So, such kind of stories makes people laugh.
How many #TalkPostive sessions have you conducted till now? How has the response been?
I have done eight sessions so far and the responses have been crazy. We have lined up another seven to eight sessions already. I’m doing two sessions in a day right now and there are a few backlogs but we are trying to manage it the best way we can.
Is there an anecdote or instance from these sessions which has been memorable or something that has made a strong impact on you?
Yes, quite a few interesting things had happened in sessions. There was a young guy who was hospitalized because of blood clots and couldn't speak properly due to the bad internet connection. As we were talking, everybody was concerned about him and wanted to know about his condition, if he doing fine, so they asked me to go back to him. That was touching for me to see people who are strangers are concerned about each other and everyone out there. The name of the guy was Harsh, although we were having a fun discussion people stopped in between and they were like, “Harsh se dobara baat karwana, want to know how is he doing.” There was another guy who was 20 years old and he not only had Covid but he was also battling blood cancer. He wasn't able to talk much but he wanted to be a part of the session, he just wanted to listen to people talk. That shows how small your problems are, as compared to others who are dealing with bigger problems in life.
Who or what helps Amit Tandon when he feels down?
The sessions that are currently going on are helping me a lot. I also laugh a lot when I see people happy and laughing. It is very challenging to find positivity these days. Normally what helps me is when I crack jokes with my kids, especially my son, because my son and I have a very weird sense of humour, only we laugh and nobody else in the family laughs at those jokes. I love doing that.
How has comedy helped you personally during the pandemic?
Due to comedy, I had a network that I could reach out to people and it has brought a lot of difference in me because when I am talking to people I find so much positivity and I also end up laughing at a few topics these days. So, that is how comedy has helped me personally during the pandemic.
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