‘Robo’ Shankar on TN tour to de-stress COVID patients

Shankar along with Dindigul Saravanan arrived at Pattukkottai quarantine centre and performed mimicry and a series of standup comedies that left the patients in splits. He also spoke encouraging words to boost their confidence. “Many patients are under stress as they are left alone in the centre and are not allowed to see even their family members. I felt that such an interaction, interspersed with jokes, would comfort them at least to a small extent. So I sought the support of my friend Dindigul Saravanan,” Shankar said after the show.

He stressed that these patients should be quarantined but not separated from the society. “So I spoke with affectionate words and instilled confidence in them. Many broke into tears of joy,” he said.

Shankar said he had this plan for a few days and applied for e-pass from the Thanjavur District Collector who wholeheartedly allowed him to meet and entertain the patients.

“This is one of the best programmes in my career. I have planned to tour across the State and started from Thanjavur. The next programme is in Tirunelveli on Wednesday. I am grateful to the Collectors and the officials who gave me a chance to help the patients in my own way,” Shankar said.