‘Pandemic prompted comedians to try new things’: Amit Tandon on getting into commentary and more

Amit Tandon on his stand-up special, ‘Masala Sandwich’, getting fitness advice from Irfan Pathan and more

Amit Tandon was getting ready to return to the stage in February after a COVID-19-induced break, assuming the worst was behind him. But he was proven wrong. The second wave of the pandemic was much worse than the first. Hearing news of deaths and distress made the already existing physical distancing worse. That is why Amit made it a point to talk about the pandemic as he returned to in-person stand-up acts recently. It was not easy to discuss a sombre topic in a stand-up act. But Amit felt it was the right thing to do.

"People were just locked inside their rooms. There was nobody to talk to. So, when you give them a chance to talk about something, even if it is a tragedy, it takes the weight away from their heart, makes them feel a little lighter," he explains.

Amit is touring several cities across India for 'Masala Sandwich', his stand-up special, wherein he jokes about the problems a man faces in his 40s -- also known as a midlife crisis. Most of the English (and Hinglish) comedians cater to millennials and Gen-Z. Whereas Amit, as he jokingly admits, entertains their parents. It has, in a way, become his identity. He even got recently ribbed by a young comedian -- she called him a 'boomer' — in a show where he was the judge.