Tanmay Bhat on tackling depression post #MeToo, says comeback unlikely
What's the story
Writer-comedian Tanmay Bhat has been a part of India's comedy scene for a long time now. But ever since the #MeToo movement engulfed his company All India Bakchod, he has been on a backfoot. And, now in a series of Instagram videos, he revealed that he's suffering from clinical depression and is unlikely to make comeback anytime soon. Here's more on what he said.
Backstory
Last year, Bhat's company faced several sexual misconduct allegations
In wake of the #MeToo wave last year, Bhat's high-rising comedy start-up, All India Bakchod (AIB) faced major controversy when several allegations of sexual misconduct against company co-founders/employees surfaced. In the aftermath of it all, co-founder and fellow comedian Gursimran Khamba was ousted from the company, and Tanmay stepped down as the CEO. Also, the company's YouTube channel was shut for "foreseeable future."
Instagram Post
Watch: Tanmay shares his emotional state on Instagram
Health
I feel almost paralyzed, shares Tanmay
Revealing that he has been suffering from clinical depression and is on medication, Tanmay said that AIB's downfall took a dramatic toll on his health. "After everything that happened in October, I'm mentally checked out. I feel almost paralyzed and unable to participate socially, online or even offline," he can be heard saying in the video.
Message
He took the opportunity to thank fans and well-wishers
Although Tanmay said that he's not sure when he would be back to work, he took the opportunity to thank his fans and supporters. "It's nice to know there are still people out there who are rooting for us and me," he said. "But at some point I just got to get up and start fixing this stuff," he concluded.
Update
Last month, AIB issued an overdue update
Meanwhile, last month, AIB had announced that there would be no new comedy-sketches coming out anytime soon. Sharing the post, Bhat apologized, saying, "I am deeply sorry for the distress I've caused... I've failed to live up to ideals that I've propagated myself, and my resolve is to ensure that this never happens again."
Return
Earlier, there were speculations of Tanmay's return on 'Comicstaan' 2
Notably, there were speculations that Tanmay might make a comeback on Prime Video's stand up comedy show, Comicstaan's second season. But he has denied his involvement with the new show. Season 2 of Comicstaan will premiere on July 12. This time, Biswa Kalyan Rath, Zakir Khan, Kenny Sebastian, Kanan Gill, Sumukhi Suresh, and Kaneez Surka will be seen as judges of the show.