Coronavirus outbreak has certainly made life miserable for the artistes but there is a need to adapt to the changing scenario and use the technology to entertain the viewers, say a few city-based slapstick comedians
Dipanwit sensitised people through a mini show on the spread of coronavirus which was viewed by approximately 50k netizens,
Bhubaneswar: Novel coronavirus induced lockdown has affected people from all walks of life and the artiste fraternity is no exception. Shootings, promotional events, live shows and many other forms of entertainment have been stalled due to shuttering of theatres across the city. Needless to say, the outbreak has left many jobless. But as they say you can’t keep the real performers quiet for too long. They certainly find their ways to entertain the audience. Some city humorists tell Orissa POST on their plans to amuse the viewers at these hours of distress.
Standup comedian Priyaranjan Sahoo says his team is planning to have some live shows with running time of 10 to 12 minutes. This apart, he wants to start a podcast containing the telephonic interviews of celebrities to remain connected with the viewers during lockdown period. “Earlier, I had started a satirical show on current affairs in collaboration with actor Dipanwit Dashmohapatra on a social media channel which was received well. Besides, I along with Dipanwit sensitised people through a mini show on the spread of coronavirus which was viewed by approximately 50k netizens,” adds Priyaranjan.
Rohit Swain doing shows from his home
Another humorist Satyabrat Mohapatra says, “COVID-19 outbreak has adversely affected all forms of entertainment. Performers dealing with live audience are worst-hit as the auditoriums have been shut with restrictions on public gathering. Most of us are sitting at home. Therefore, we have no choice but to go ‘live’ on our social media accounts. At the moment, I am planning to interact with the audience through live shows on Instagram and Facebook.”
Comedian Rohit Swain did a 30-minute-long online corporate show from his home for a company which had nearly 70 participants. “The audience focused on the act and to my surprise, the event went off smoothly without any hindrance.” he says.
Asked about lockdown, the slapstick comedian adds, “This is definitely a tough time for most of the artistes who used to entertain audience through live performances. However, we have to adapt to the new situation and use the technology to entertain our viewers.”
Alokesh Sinha, another popular comedian believes that the performers should use this situation to their advantage. “We need to be innovative and offer good contents to the viewers from the comfort of our home through live streaming. I am planning to start a video chat with fellow comedians and release it in social media.”
Arindam Ganguly, OP