By Nadeem Badshah
TOP actors and comedians have revealed how the lockdown has led to them pursuing different career paths and skills.
With filming for TV shows and films suspended over the pandemic, performers have been using their time to complete courses, learn new skills and earn a living in other industries.
And after indoor theatres and entertainment venues closed in March, some comics turned to unique social media projects to reach out to audiences.
Shivi Hotwani, an actor, singer and radio host from London, told Eastern Eye: “I have been lucky enough to be on Asian FX Radio and during lockdown have taken on additional shows on a daily basis to keep audiences entertained during lockdown. I have also hosted a number of interviews and posted videos of my past acting roles to keep engagement with my followers.
“I have taken on full control of Asian FX Radio’s social media and have been engaging in more voiceover work. I would love to host more online interviews, which could be the way forward.”
He added: “Acting work and filming completely stopped for three months, which was tough. Auditions and castings were hard to come by, and now all auditions are conducted online which some people find great, but others not so much!
“I have been able to reignite my love for singing, and it has given my sister and me the opportunity to circle back to some music we recorded a couple of years ago and work with producers in India to complete the tracks – so maybe a new career could be on the horizon.
“Creatively though, it has been a good opportunity to revisit and hone talents I have often ignored, or never had the time to really practise or explore.”
It comes after research found that nearly 40 per cent of the UK workforce is reconsidering their current employment status due to the Covid-19 crisis.
The study by company LegalShield UK found that half of the people questioned said that they have a second job, also known as a “side hustle”, including direct selling and blogging.
Bhavin Bhatt, an actor from London, has been using the Zoom video conferencing app to connect with writers, actors and directors about future projects.
He told Eastern Eye: “Before lockdown I was working through a personal training course. “Once lockdown began, I was able to dedicate more time to it and should be qualified very soon.”
Bhatt added: “The closure of theatres, TV and film sets has been very tough, I was on tour and, overnight, my job came to an abrupt end.
“It has been very difficult and upsetting to see theatres shutting their doors for good and the challenges the pandemic has brought are here to stay for a while.
“But the arts is a community and we will come through this together. The lockdown has certainly had its positives.
“Being able to have time to network with other creatives and help with script reads has certainly opened the doors to new friendships and working relations.”
Meanwhile, comic Sindhu Vee launched a parenting podcast in June with actor and comedian Stuart Goldsmith. And comedian Bilal Zafar has earned a new audience by donning a suit and playing the role of a football manager while streaming retro computer game Pro Evolution Soccer 5.
He delivers team talks, post-match interviews and has written storylines for the virtual players in the soap opera on video live streaming service Twitch.
One of the plots involved his character getting addicted to Bonjela cream, driving a golf cart on the motorway and getting into a fight with a player.
Zafar said: “I thought that I would pick a retro game. Pro Evo Five, it’s the first one I ever got into when I was about 12 or 13.
“And then I had the idea, ‘well, I’ve got a greenscreen, I’ll just be the manager.’
“The golf cart thing was improvised – it actually started with Bonjela. I had a mouth ulcer, used it on the stream and it looked like I was addicted to it.
“Then I went on a rant. I was going more and more nuts, changed the whole formation, I played our goalkeeper up front because I thought he disrespected me.
“Then I got on the motorway and sang Ray of Light by Madonna.”
Elsewhere, a website called Cameo offering personalised messages from actors, musicians and sports stars has seen a rush by locked-down celebrities to offer video greetings.
Among those offering their services are comedian Nimesh Patel, entertainer Magic Singh and TV presenter Mehreen Baig.
Pope Francis greets Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit near Bari, Italy, in June last year, as Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and then British prime minister Rishi Sunak look on
