Karunesh Talwar, well-known stand-up comedian, is all set to entertain the audiences with his stand-up special on Amazon Prime video. Recognised for excellence in entertainment, Karunesh recently joined NewsX for an exclusive conversation as part of NewsX India A-List series. In the exclusive conversation, he spoke to us about his new show on Amazon, idea behind the name of the show, principles of stand-up comedy and much more.

Speaking how he and the team happened to name the show ‘Aalas, Motapa, Khabrahat’, Karunesh shared, “The name is part of joke punch line from the show itself. I had written the whole show, we shot it and while we were editing it, I was sitting with show’s director and editor who suggested me to give the name ‘Aalas, Motapa, Khabrahat’.” He shared the joke and added “The first half of the show is about my parents and the other half is about my relationship with my girlfriend.”

Emphasising on the relevance of these 3 words, i.e  ‘Aalas, Motapa and Khabrahat’, especially amid the pandemic, he said, “I suppose this happened subconsciously because I wrote this show during pandemic. Also, it comes from the attempt to tell my story, which has to be really authentic and unique on stage. So I think, these 3 words can describe a lot of people’s experiences during pandemic.” On being asked to give 3 words to describe his last one and a half year, he jokingly added, “Aalas, Motapa, Khabrahat’, i suppose. Apart from that, I think it would be lucky, motivated and more anxious.”

When asked what makes this show different from others, he responded, “Usually you write material about certain subjects, which is about 8-9 minutes per subjects covering about 6-7 subjects over an hour show. Here, I had only 2 topics, that’s it. I think it is lot more in story telling format and in long form. That’s not what I have attempted before. It is much more personal and vulnerable than anything I have ever done before as it reveals aspects to my personality, which people who watch my content wouldn’t have been revealed to before.”

Karunesh is hopeful that it is the sign of more things like this coming from him in the future. He expressed, “One of the principles of live stand-up comedy is that if you are authentically telling your story then you are the only one selling it and you are the only supplier of that particular kind of comedy. So, people will always by it from you. You’ll also never run out of material because you are being authentic and not pretending up there.”

Talking about the public response on his last Amazon show’s interesting title – ‘Pata nahi par bolna hai’, he said, “The response was overwhelming and got a lot of positive feedback. The fact that I am doing another show with Amazon means that the last response was good. The title of that show came about because it was about a lot of people and me at the same time”.

When asked if his family and friends call him to give them some light moments in otherwise heavy days, he expressed, “I think people often have a perception that comedians are hilarious and people around them are constantly laughing. No, they are constantly irritated by our existence. They haven’t called me for light moments but definitely the advantage is to learn about therapy and how to balance mental health better.”

Sharing his takeaway from the pandemic, he said, “To be honest, I am extremely fortunate that my career picked up at the time it did. It allowed me to access to work and resources that kept me tied in these unprecedented times. This allowed me work on myself. It gave me time to introspect, write more material and explore new avenues in my work. This is the reason why this new show is different from the kind of work I have done before.”

On a parting note, the comedian shared a piece of advice for aspiring comedians and said, “Delayed gratification always beats instant gratification. If you have a funny thought, don’t put it out instantly instead work on it for about 6 months to one year. It will give you unimaginable success and opportunities. Respect your audience, be authentic and write and perform as much as you can.”

Akasa, Singer and Yash Narvekar, Singer & Music Composer recently joined us on our special series NewsX India A-List. In the exclusive interview, the singer duo spoke about their latest collaboration ‘Yaad Naa Aana’, how the song came into existence, their lockdown diaries and much more. Read excerpts here:

Speaking about their new single ‘Yaad Naa Aana’, Akasa said, “Actually, it is our second collaboration. We did a song called ‘Feel The Vibe’, I think, 2 years back. Yash and I have known each other for a long time. We were in the same college and we sort of worked together in a reality show, where we realised that we are the black sheep, the back benchers and the ‘underrated’. I appointed myself as our un-official cheerleader. Coming back to the song, we were all actually a part of this song camp, where i had a session with someone. I had actually just performed, got off the stage, took a flight to this session in the morning and there were some issues with the scheduling. I was sleepy, had no coffee, i was just grumpy. Meanwhile, Yash was sitting with his guitar. I was thinking to myself, ‘I hate everything and everything sucks.’ He was like singing this song and i was like ‘what are you singing?’. He was like nothing, he was really downplaying it. When he sang it, my mind was blown. I told him that this is beautiful. I asked him who wrote it, he actually wrote and composed it. He asked me if I want to sing this song. We went into the studio very randomly and we did that session. He came up with my part. Mind you, my grumpy mind did not want to sing. I told him that you put your vocals down. When my voice is fine, I will sing. He was like just sing, we will do it properly later.”

“There were some weird circumstances because I was actually method singing. Whatever I was singing, I was going through in my life. I had the person in front of me, who I would imagine. That’s how the song got made. Cut to, I was told that we are releasing the song a year later. Since I have had the demo version, I have been obsessed with it. The fact that it came out, not only that, people are loving it. The vocals that you hear are the same- grumpy,” she added.

Yash jokingly added, “I didn’t change it. Otherwise, the emotion wouldn’t have come. If we had recorded it again, it wouldn’t have been the same. We recorded the song spontaneously. Even i didn’t re-record. Where we recorded was not a proper studio. It was a like a home, where we had put up bed sheets to sound proof everything. Even the mic was of a very cheap quality. It was that kind of a set up.  Somehow, the way both of our voices were sounding and the feel with which we sang, we realised that it wouldn’t sound the same again so we kept the same vocals.”

When asked if he ever thought that the song would become such a big hit, he responded, “We were at this camp at this point of time. Our job for those 3-4 days was to just enter that place, make songs and not think about what is going to happen. There were such talented people around us and such great people around us that the chances of your song cutting through the whole clutter and being picked up by the label, I didn’t really expect that to happen. But, I knew one thing. Once I had Akasa on the track, once we recorded it, once the camp and everything got over and I started living with the song, I realised that there is something special about this song. I was just hoping that Sony gives me this call and says that we are doing this song. That’s exactly what happened but the beauty is that it happened now. The timing is what struck me. Even the way they shot it, about this couple in a lockdown in their house together, she’s doing a Zoom call and he is walking through in a banyan and boxers, eating a sandwich. Stuff like that, right now, I can relate to it much more than last year if it had released back then.”

Talking about what and whom they have missed the most during the lockdown, Akasa said, “Both these lockdowns were personal hell for me. I have always been an out and about person. I had a break up in the first lockdown. I had a break up again in the second lockdown with a friend as well. I was just missing them. If I am being very honest, I think I miss normalcy. I miss going to a café with my friends and sitting without our masks and hugging them and not having the waiter come with a mask on his face. It’s that silly little thing but I miss normalcy. I am done. I want to go back. “

Meanwhile, Yash added, “Just like she said, when I got out, which I rarely do, but when I go for a jog or something, I got this constant fear on my mind that there are people around you. That wasn’t ever a fear. It was always a good thing. You always scared of a person coughing. You are wearing 2 masks and you are obviously running so you cannot breathe so you have to find a spot to lower your mask and quickly take a few breaths. In general, going anywhere and meeting people. I love meeting people. I can spend time with anybody. In this lockdown, i moved out of my house also because I was working. Both my parents are above 60 years of age. I didn’t want to risk them because I was going for sessions, making music and meeting people. I moved out and started living in my studio. That was a big challenge because I have never lived without my parents. I think I was very lonely in the start of it. I am alone now. I am not lonely. That’s why I am enjoying this time. I have started enjoying my own company. At the same time, I miss being around a lot of people going on music festivals and stuff like that but that is something, which can be counted as a luxury, especially with the kind of issues people are facing. I cannot be complaining about these things when people are facing life-threatening issues. I am just happy that I have a room, I am healthy and my parents are fine.”

As India grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic, India’s top comedians have joined hands to entertain the audience with Amazon Prime’s latest show ‘LOL- Hasee Toh Phasse’. Sunil Grover, Gaurav Gera, Aditi Mittal spoke about the show. The trio not only spilled the beans on the show’s format and its USP but also shared their opinion on the ever-increasing craze around comedy in India.

On bringing smiles amid tough times, Sunil said, “I feel lucky to be a part of this show as there are a lot of tensions and worries around us. So, it is a good thing that people will be at their home laughing. When we were shooting the show, it was difficult. Everyone got tested and we maintained all precautions. We were almost in a bio-bubble. For us, safety was the priority. Fortunately, we could shoot the show at that time. We need a show like during these difficult times. I am glad to be a part of it. We weren’t allowed to laugh but we hope people will.”

Gaurav said, “I don’t know many shows, which are reality comedy shows. You always have an audience around you, who acknowledge and say that you are funny. They laugh back at you. This show is different. It’s a fiction reality show, where the people around you are telling you that you are not funny. It is exciting and has never been done before in India.”

When asked about its USP and what made her say yes to the show, Aditi expressed, “I would never get on a conference call with Gaurav and Sunil if it wasn’t for this show. I have already got my work’s worth in this entire process. Having said that, it is a beautiful study. It is an interesting psychological experiment to put 10 people, who are so needy for validation that we decided to make a profession out of it. We are then put in a room where nobody is giving us validation. It was truly like it could either go well, which will be hilarious or badly, which would also be hilarious.”

Over the years, the standard and craze of comedy has been rising. When asked about it, Sunil responded, “There are a lot of reasons behind this. The mediums have increased. People have a lot of platforms to express themselves. People are also doing comedy on social media. There are various tools and apps where people can showcase their talent. So, these people showcase their talent and become famous on social media. Now, we have a lot of material and choice. Things get viral and people get to know about more comic artists. With OTT, comedy has got a push as people have improved access. They can watch content within the comfort of their house. Experiments are happening which I like a lot. For example, this show is an experiment with human emotions on a psychological level. This cannot be done in a film or television. We can explore new content on OTT. I also feel happy that I got a chance to work on a new subject and a new universe.”

On a parting note, the trio shared their ‘one message of hope and caution’ to people amid challenging times. Sunil said, “Everyone should wear masks and maintain hygiene. If it is not important, don’t go out of your home. This is my request to everyone.”

Gaurav added, “Only go out if necessary. Otherwise, it is not worth it. We are all in this situation together. We are living in tough times. You should give hope to isolated people. When you are unwell, your mind keeps running so you have to learn how to distract as well. Rest, something that is supposed to happen, will happen. So, just stay hopeful and stay cautious.”

Urging people to extend help to the needy, Aditi added, “Mask up, stay home, and don’t step outside unless it is urgent. My request would also be that we are privileged enough to extend a helping hand to someone. If we can do that in these difficult times, whether it is financial or emotional help to anyone, then we should do it.”

The World Environment Day celebrations on 5 June once again shone the spotlight on India’s role in global climate leadership. In fact, India was amongst the most prominent participating nations at the Stockholm Conference (United Nations Conference on the Human Environment) in 1972, when the concept of World Environment Day was first conceived. And in 2016, India took a giant leap in advancing its environmental goals, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the country to ratify the Paris Agreement — the moment was loaded with symbolism as it took place on the 2 October, Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. Hence, in keeping with the environmental goals of our nation, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has undertaken a diverse range of initiatives towards afforestation and supporting innovations that are geared towards mitigating the carbon footprint of industries that come within its purview.

To begin with, DAHD has been working proactively to complement the Prime Minister’s mission on the nationwide sanitation campaign Swachhata Hi Sewa by spearheading efforts towards reducing the usage of single-use plastic in milk pouches. To this end, DAHD has issued advisories with recommendations on subsiding one-litre milk pouches and discouraging the use of 500 ml pouches by increasing their price. Additionally, it was recommended that customers should be offered a rebate on the return of plastic pouches so that they can be later recycled by waste management agencies. The directives issued by DAHD catalysed many dairy cooperatives to focus on recycling and waste management on a priority basis. 

Amongst the prominent dairy companies that led the efforts are Mother Dairy which began the process by inviting bidders for collection, segregation, and recycling of post-consumer Single Layered Plastic for a quantity of 2000 MT in Delhi NCR. In this context, social media campaigns and innovative strategies such as creating a tall effigy of Ravana with plastic waste collected from various pockets of the city and recycling it instead of burning it went a long way towards driving home the message. To enhance the impact of the campaign, door-to-door plastic collection drives were periodically held in major cities across the country. Likewise, the State Milk Federations submitted reports highlighting their efforts such as subsidising the price of one-litre milk by Rs 2. The most prominent events to showcase the efforts were held on 2 October in the form of awareness generations plays (nukkad natak), programs on radio, articles in print media, etc. Consequently, an increasing number of dairy companies are now adopting the ‘100% Recyclable Plastic’ stamp on their milk pouches.

It is further heartening to witness public declarations by a leading player like Amul to set a target of getting at least 50% of their post-consumer waste recycled through collaborations with waste management companies in Gujarat. Likewise, there are ongoing efforts to replicate the recycling models in all the major cities where the company operates. When bigger players in the ecosystem take the lead, then it has a ripple effect and encourages other companies to follow suit. As a result, in the past couple of years, an increasing number of dairy companies have begun selling value-added products like ice cream and curd in paper cups, and have replaced plastic spoons with wooden spoons.

In the context of tree plantation, the initiatives by the Central Cattle Breeding Farm have been noteworthy. In addition to other initiatives in conservation, the institution carried out a robust drive under which over 2000 saplings were planted around its premises. Finally, a prominent scheme that must be mentioned is the Gobardhan scheme, under which the Central government has been working earnestly for better management of cattle waste and converting them into biogas and organic manure, in a bid to improve the lives and income of farmers. The government has launched the Unified Portal of Gobardhan to track the progress of the scheme in real-time.

Thus, all the above-mentioned schemes and initiatives underscore the commitment of the government towards reducing the carbon footprint of all the sectors affiliated with dairying and animal husbandry. Continued efforts in this direction, will enhance productivity, traceability, and yield a higher return on investment for our farmers.

Atul Chaturvedi is Secretary at the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

No matter how much you prepare, you’re never really prepared enough for parenthood till you begin to live that life. Parenthood is a unique experience and a shared responsibility. Its impact might start with conception but is only felt after childbirth. 

Breastfeeding begins a mother’s journey of shouldering much of the caregiving responsibilities. Motherhood is often glorified and thus, fear overrides everything she does. It tends to envelop her identity. 

· Fear of having to care for a being who is fragile and tiny, who needs to latch on correctly to breastfeed, must be cleaned with utmost care and kept warm and comfortable. 

· Fear that she must instinctively understand her child’s needs and know what to do. She can’t go wrong or make any mistakes.  

· Fear that her struggle to understand her child’s behaviour will be scrutinised and judged. 

· Fear of unmet expectations. Everyone seems to know more than her. Unsolicited advice about the ‘right way’ of doing things is free-floating. 

· Fear of the pressure that ‘mother knows best.’ It’s challenging to assimilate, assess and ascertain for herself what matters, what is required and what she can realistically do.

Fear creates tremendous performance pressure leaving her feeling anxious, insecure, disillusioned, uncertain, miserable and alone. She’s unable to show anger or frustration since motherly emotions promote tolerance, acceptance and selflessness. To overcome these feelings, she pressurises herself to invest more of herself. She begins to believe that only she can understand her child’s needs and therefore is the most competent to provide care. She questions other’s capabilities to share or take over some of her responsibilities. This can make her rigid. She’s unable to accept if things aren’t done timely or her way. She struggles to resist the temptation to do them herself just so she can feel comfortable and satisfied. She becomes overcautious and overprotective. This often leads her into direct confrontation with others.  

When seeking support she feels threatened and challenged by the notion that asking for help might mean giving up and/or letting go of being the direct caregiver. Thus, the emotional support she gets greatly differs from the support she feels she truly needs.  

Interestingly new mothers often overlook the fact that husbands also graduate to become fathers. Fathers are equally important for a child’s physical and social development and emotional well-being. Yet their transition is discounted and rarely seen as a struggle. They question their role and abilities because of the age-old divide between gender roles. In recent times, the need to become engaged hands-on fathers also feels like pressure. They lack the non-judgemental space or time to become comfortable with their child, flexibility to understand how things are done or make their mistakes. Much can be learned through trial and experimentation which in turn strengthens the father-child attachment. Yet they’re made to feel inadequate, incompetent, inconsequential and apathetic. 

Instead of resisting and coming across as hostile, many actually prefer to trade caregiving responsibilities with becoming providers of financial security. Being competent providers allows them to regain their confidence and sense of control. It also provides the feeling of accomplishment earlier missing from their parental role. 

It’s important to understand that as roles evolve (wife to mother, husband to father, husband-wife to parents) responsibilities expand and expectations change. But unfortunately, becoming parents is automatically seen as the most critical role. At this juncture, providing positive childcare while managing and juggling the marriage, meeting the partner’s needs and the demands of the household and professional responsibilities become challenging and burdensome. It’s a difficult phase. To ease into parenting one requires patience, open communication and commitment.

Effective parenting is stressful and does impact the marital relationship. It can glaringly bring out the shortcomings and difficulties in marriage and lead to blaming one another. Alternatively, discounting the marital relationship directly impacts the quality of parenting. When parents are unhappy, dejected and troubled, their unmet needs get projected onto the child with the expectation that they will satisfy them. This puts undue pressure on the child and can make them feel like a failure or as if they’re not enough and have done something wrong. The well-intentioned effort at parenting can therefore get completely misplaced. 

Thus conscious effort must be made to bring back focus into the marriage and partnership instead of connecting via the child. High-quality, engaged and active parenting entails stepping up and being each other’s comfort and support. Knowing one can depend on their partner has huge psychological benefits. A healthy and nurturing marital relationship fulfils emotional needs, provides stability and eases feelings of insecurity, anxiety, emptiness and loneliness when wading through this learning phase. 

Parenting with a committed partner provides a sense of meaning and purpose in life. It ensures that parenting is an enjoyable and happy experience.

The writer is a mental health counsellor.

Dr Anthony Fauci opposed the Trump administration demands to withdraw a research grant to a foundation associated with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, as per a new book. Fauci

later “reluctantly agreed” after it was indicated that his career would be risked. 

‘Nightmare Scenario: Inside the Trump Administration’s Response to the Pandemic That Changed History’, an upcoming book by Washington Post reporters Yasmeen Abutaleb and Damian Paletta, talks about Fauci’s discussion with other top officials over how to handle the request. 

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director and his colleagues grappled with how to respond to the request in April 2020 to withhold the remaining $369,819 balance for nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance’s project studying coronaviruses.

“On the afternoon of 24 April, National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins and Fauci received notice that Trump wanted to formally announce in a 5:00 pm press conference that the grant had been terminated,” the authors, wrote.

Following reports linked the research to the Wuhan facility at the centre of the “lab leak theory,” which claims the pandemic began with a lab accident, the White House pressured the National Institutes of Health to stop funding for a study researching how coronaviruses transfer from infected bats to humans.