The ability to create art is viewed as a divine gift, and those gifted with the talents and skills become artists who enrich national cultures and traditions. Thus, someone who is an artist—whether an actor, singer, dancer, painter, or a comedian—is seen as one of the most revered persons in society. But, not everyone receives the benefit of being appreciated, at least not a comedian. This remark was made recently by well-known comedian Sunil Pal in an interview with Jay-Ho! The Jay Kumar Show. Sunil articulates the difficulties of becoming a comic. He talked about the poor hostility they receive backstage. He described how someone who strives to make the world laugh experiences emotional and mental torchers.
Sunil shared his struggle as a comedian and the difficulties that come with the job with host Jay Kumar. He stated, “A stand-up comic is a one-man army. He performs on his own, without any backup. However, a comedian is not treated properly backstage. We receive subpar backstage treatment when we attend a show. No arrangement of tea or water, the enormous crowds, and the selfie-happy audience, an artist can’t even find enough room to breathe there in such circumstances. Some people purposefully do it. They receive poor treatment behind the stage. Although these things are modest, they have an emotional and mental impact on you. An artist uses backstage to unwind, but no one else thinks that way.”
No tea-no water arrangement backstage
He continued, “I’ve noticed, if you pay an artist, you should take every opportunity to take advantage of them. If a comedian is staying at a hotel, then people frequently stop by and sit in the room. There is no privacy given. Your door will be repeatedly knocked on. They don’t understand that the comedian is only there to perform, but with these inappropriate things he or she is not given room to breathe. And if the performer later turns out to be inadequate, people will accuse them. Here, the crucial question is how an artist can produce quality work if he or she is not allowed adequate room to concentrate or be by themselves. This is called a torcher. Negotiations begin when you bring up money, but you don’t provide any facility to the artist.
The incident that angered Sunil Pal
During the session, Sunil Pal recalled an incident that left him hurt and offended. “I remember an incident, I had to travel to Delhi to perform,” he says. So the party sent a compact vehicle. There was no place for me inside because there were already a few others seated. It was awful and offensive. We don’t voice complaints, yet this is not acceptable. An artist cannot perform properly without the bare minimum of facilities. You shouldn’t count on a strong performance from him/her. A comedian is rarely respected or given nice accommodations. 70 percent of people don’t care about them.
Sunil Pal poured his heart out on the unfair treatment with comedians. Further he discussed his struggles getting from working at a tea stall to the world tour with Aamir Khan. He conveyed his sorrow over the passing of comedian Raju Srivastava. In addition to discussing his forthcoming project, he revealed the movie’s theme. To know the details of Sunil Pal’s interesting career journey and his fun-filled performances, tune in to Jay-Ho! The Jay Kumar Show.
