WORK LIFE - Staying upbeat on the road

There's a lesson to be learnt from these funny men who tour as much as 10-15 days every month, yet manage to put an energetic show at the end of the evening. Whether it's sticking to a workout routine in the hotel room, catnapping on the flight or keeping a low profile when it comes to after-parties, they have different ways of coping with the pressures of travelling.
KANAN GILL (24)
Collaborates with Biswa Kalyan Rath for a show on YouTube called Pretentious Movie Reviews and delivers YouTube seminars Gill, who hops between Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru on a weekly basis, is sometimes in a different city every day of the week. According to Gill, being upbeat and energetic for one hour a day (when he's doing a show), isn't really a problem despite the constant travel. And every time he feels stressed out, he mediates for 15 minutes. “It helps me clear my head and stop worrying which I'm prone to do,“ says Gill, who is particular about eating a well-balanced meal and keeping off sugar as much as possible.
His sleep pattern is a little unusual because he also needs to edit his YouTube videos along with performing stand-up. “I sleep for about five hours a day, but when I'm travelling that is broken up to a few hours on the plane, a few hours in the hotel room and a nap when I can,“ says Gill, adding, “I do drink a lot of black coffee to keep going.“
The comic, who has seen a meteoric rise in popularity in the last one year with his YouTube channel gaining over 1.67 lakh followers, usually sips on a few beers to “calm down“, but he chases that with a “lot of water to stay hydrated“.
KENNY SEBASTIAN (24)
One of Bengaluru's best-known faces in the comedy circuit, Kenny Sebastian is the only city comic with a TV show on Comedy Central, The Living Room The comic, who is best known for This improv routine, is an anomaly in the stand-up comedy scene for having a `good boy image'. By his own admission, “I don't smoke, I don't drink alcohol or coffee and I don't consume any sugar“. While travelling on shows, Sebastian sticks to his disciplined routine. He also works out for two hours every day irrespective of where he is. “Even when I'm travelling to other cities to do a show, I still do a workout in the hotel room itself,“ Sebastian says. This involves crunches, push-ups, squats and floor exercises that don't require equipment. “And I spend some time every morning meditating,“ he adds. Emphasising on the importance of getting ample sleep, Sebastian tries to get at least eight hours of it every day. “In extreme cases, when I'm low on energy I'll have a lime juice to get some glucose in,“ he says.
SUNDEEP RAO (31)
Considered the `Godfather' of stand-up comedy in Bengaluru, Rao has two one-hour special shows Out of Sight and Blurred Lines and has been featured in Comedy Store's Best of Stand Up nights for three years his comedy veteran has, at times, done nine shows in one weekend. He T says it takes discipline to stay energetic for a show and this builds over time. “You have to note that whenever we travel for shows we always get put up in good hotels, so we're well rested before shows. And if you have a good show it keeps your energy going,“ he says. While he's “chilled out“ when he's performing in Bengaluru, and will even have a few beers before going on stage, he avoids drinking while travelling given that he has to do multiple shows in a day. While he finds it hard to sleep right after a show, he refrains from going to after-parties so that he doesn't unnecessarily exert himself. “If I'm doing an hour-long show, I need to stay energetic. For that, I have a good meal at least two hours before I go up to perform. That way I don't feel drowsy on stage.“
UTSAV CHAKRABORTY (24)
His Twitter handle is Satan Bhagat and has over 30,000 followers, and he has collaborated with other city comics for the show The Comment Section which has had sold-out shows he comic, who abstains from alcohol entirely, says that travelT ling itself has him thrilled and excited. “Unless you're travelling by bus and spending hours commuting. The fact that you're in a new city and are put up in a 4-star hotel with the best of food, you will naturally feel upbeat.“ A non-smoker, Chakraborty ensures he drinks a lot of water (a glass or two before a show) and even carries a bottle of water with him when he goes up on stage). “If you're performing for an hour, your mouth is bound to go dry from talking.“ He also recommends honey with hot water that can help keep the throat clear before a performance in case of any infection or hoarseness.