Amit Tandon on his stand-up special, ‘Masala Sandwich’, taking fitness advice from Irfan Pathan and more
Amit Tandon was getting ready to return to the stage after a COVID-19-induced break in February, believing the worst was behind him. But he was proved wrong. The second wave of the pandemic was much worse than the first. Hearing the news of the deaths and distress, the already existing physical distancing got worse. This is why Amit made it a point to talk about the pandemic as he recently returned to stand-up acts in person. Discussing a sad topic in a stand-up act was not easy. But Amit felt that it was the right thing to do.
“People were just locked inside their rooms. There was no one to talk to. So, when you give them a chance to talk about something, even if it’s a tragedy, it takes the weight off their hearts. Makes them feel a little lighter,” he explains.
Amit is touring cities across India for his stand-up special ‘Masala Sandwich’, in which he pokes fun at the problems faced by a man in his 40s – also known as the midlife crisis. Is. Most English (and Hinglish) comedians cater to millennials and Gen-Zs. While Amit, as he jokingly admits, entertains their parents. It has become his identity in a way. He was even recently cut by a young comedian – he called him ‘Boomer’ – on a show where he was a judge.
He doesn’t mind the labeling. But he says he doesn’t repeat tired subjects. “Even within a mid-life crisis, the challenges I’m talking about keep changing. If I talked about relationships in one set, I’d discuss health in another. But the way I do things That won’t change. I’m a 45-year-old. So, I can’t write as a 25-year-old,” he says.
Amit is also involved in various projects to prove that he is not a one-trick pony. He co-judges Comedy Base Camp, a comedy show on MTV, along with Cyrus Brocha. He hosts a Spotify Originals podcast, inside talk, He was part of the ‘Hotstar Dost’ commentary panel in the Indian Premier League, where he worked with former cricketers. “I thought I was fit. But one day, Irfan Pathan came and said to me, ‘Sir, you need to run a lot.’ So, yes, it was a depressing experience,” he says jokingly.
Amit is not the only stand-up comedian who has tried to diversify his skills. Many of them make reaction videos, get on television, collaborate with OTT platforms like Netflix, and of course, make Instagram reels. Amit feels that the pandemic was an important factor. “Without live shows, there was more time to focus on these projects. Also, there was a concern that if stand-up comedy income was going to be absent for the next few months, I would need another revenue stream. the wanted.”
Amit has visited many Indian cities for ‘Masala Sandwich’. Does it get monotonous to repeat the same jokes everywhere? No, says Amit. “There is always some gap between the crowd. For example, in Bangalore, their global exposure is much higher than in a tier-II city. You get theaters and people watching live shows. But if I go to a place like Guwahati So the crowd there, I think, has a more commercial background. This is probably their first or second live show. So, with a few jokes, you have to explain the context a little bit more. And, I change the language a little . If a joke is entirely in English, I add some Hindi. Jokes don’t change how I tell them.”
Amit is performing in Bengaluru on November 12 and 13. For more information see Bookmyshow.com
,