DesiQuest
Podcast version of the TTRPG Actual Play set in a South Asian mythological universe starring Jasmine Bhullar, Anjali Bhimani, Omar Najam, Sandeep Parikh & Rekha Shankar.
DesiQuest
The Tea Kettle - PAX Unplugged 2023 with Sandeep Parikh & Anjali Bhimani - *SNEAK PEAK*
Join the entire cast of DesiQuest who will be doing a panel at PAX East on Sunday March 24, 2024 from 3pm-4pm in the Bumblebee Theater.
When the kettle whistles and the tea is ready, it's time for the DesiQuest after-show—and what a show it is! Omar Najam and I, Sandeep Parikh, are all cozied up inside the teapot, steaming with excitement. After every episode of DesiQuest is launched, we'll release another episode of the Tea Kettle with me and Omar and a very special guest, or guest from either behind or in front of the camera.
When our very own Omar gets likened to a beloved British "muppet," you know it's the start of another memorable episode of the Tea Kettle podcast, where laughter is as essential as our next breath. Join us as we take you through the highs of our recent live event at PAX Unplugged, where the energy of our enthusiastic supporters was nothing short of electric. Feeling the love from the community, we dive into the significance of representing brown mythology in media and the indelible connections we've fostered with you, our listeners – it's a heartfelt thank you that resonates with the warmth of 850 cheering fans.
Our episode takes an emotional turn as we explore the range of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and Sandeep brings a scene to life in a way that tugs at the heartstrings. We unravel the power of humor as a shield, revealing how TTRPGs offer a sanctuary for actors to navigate the complexities of their characters' lives, as well as their own. Later, we whisk you away to the unique atmosphere of Critical Role Live at Wembley, sharing candid moments and the sheer joy that comes from the unpredictability of the dice roll – proving that sometimes, a natural one can be as thrilling as a critical hit.
Website: https://www.desiquest.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DesiQuest
Wanna play D&D with the cast? Buy a seat at the table here: www.desiquest/playwiththepros
DesiQuest merch: www.desiquest.com/merch
Sponsors:
Darrington Press: https://darringtonpress.com/candela/
Gharana Foods: https://www.gharanafoods.com/desiquest.html
Die Hard Dice: https://DesiQuest.com/DHD
Hero Forge: https://www.heroforge.com
Misty Mountain Gaming: https://desiquest.com/misty
Hi everybody, yay, oh my gosh, you guys. Thank you so much for showing up to like the late night. Well, this is the late night for me because I'm old, but like I don't know, if it's late night for another rest of you, DesiQuest after hours.
Anjali Bhimani:That's right. Oh, oh, oh, yeah. Okay, that's podcast number two. Yeah, I'm gonna say that that's gonna be me and Jasmine, okay, because that's a whole different vibe. I guess, I guess, you guys
Sandeep Parikh:You guess I just got cut from the podcast.
Anjali Bhimani:Nooo, because you got the Tea Kettle, the Tea Kettle is your.
Sandeep Parikh:baby.
Anjali Bhimani:Alright, I'm just filling in for Omar.
Sandeep Parikh:No, you're more than You're in upgrade, frankly, oh.
Anjali Bhimani:Let's be honest, we beat up on Omar because it's fun, but oh, we shouldn't.
Sandeep Parikh:And also he is so lovely and you can, he's the sweetest thing on the planet?
Anjali Bhimani:Yes, Like I don't even. He's such a muppet like the most delicious sweetheart.
Sandeep Parikh:He's a muppet.
Anjali Bhimani:And not a muppet in like the British term, where it kind of means like, because he's also wicked smart. What's the British term about? That A Muppet is kind of, at least in my experience, a Muppet is a little bit of someone's like oh God, there's such a Muppet Like they're like, so not smart.
Sandeep Parikh:It's an idiot. Okay, you were saying that in a nice way.
Anjali Bhimani:I didn't want to use the word, but we went there. So there we going, and now, apparently, I have a different accent too.
Sandeep Parikh:I don't know why.
Anjali Bhimani:Should I introduce the podcast? We should, because there are so many people who are gonna be listening to this and not in this room and I have no idea what's going on.
Sandeep Parikh:Right, okay, so welcome. This is the Tea Kettle podcast live at PAX Unplugged. Give it up, give up, woo Woo. I just have to describe to those listeners at home Anjali, running up and down the aisles, kind of exposing herself.
Anjali Bhimani:I'm wearing a high neck sweater. I may just be shoving my bosom into people's faces, because it has a microphone attached to it.
Sandeep Parikh:Yeah, nobody seems too upset, so I hope we're doing fine, anand.
Anjali Bhimani:We have a superstar in the room. You gotta give up your so look back there.
Sandeep Parikh:We'll start with this. Anand Shah is one of our executive producers. Woo, he's the one executive producer you don't see on the show. I know, and I know Everybody else is on the show.
Anjali Bhimani:I feel like, can we like next season? Yeah, I said next season it's gonna happen. I swear. Okay, I said it there fore it's happening.
Sandeep Parikh:Not only did you hear her first, I just heard it here first.
Anjali Bhimani:So congratulations, when I want something, I get something. And so we're having a second season, and apparently I'm a childish British whiner. But I hope in the second season we can drag Anand on for a little guest part.
Sandeep Parikh:Okay, I mean Does Anand want that? Should we ask him?
Anjali Bhimani:Is he going to speak to me? I'm scared. Now he's like hi, no, please stop talking to me and leave me alone.
Sandeep Parikh:Less attention.
Anjali Bhimani:Less attention. Got it, got it, got it, got it. But we are so happy that he is here because we don't get to see him as much because we're all on the West Coast, that's right. So this is very fun to be over here on the East Coast hanging with all of you Very excited. Thank you not only for being here present, but thank you for supporting the show. How many?
Sandeep Parikh:backers do we have in this audience?
Anjali Bhimani:Amazing. That's all the hands.
Sandeep Parikh:By the way, audience at home, they're raising their hands. That's why you couldn't hear them.
Anjali Bhimani:Yeah, that's it, it was a lot yes so many hands, you guys, so many hands, they're like, they're like a good 850 people in this room.
Sandeep Parikh:Oh, my gosh, oh my gosh, you heard it, that's it, that's it, that's it, that's it, that's it. Ok. Ok, that was. Why do we not have video? Now this is an explicit show? No, it's not At this point the first time you're allowed, but the second one you're in trouble?
Anjali Bhimani:Come on, I just want people to be heard.
Sandeep Parikh:Yeah.
Anjali Bhimani:Let the voices ring out. It feels like 850 people it does, and that's what matters, and we feel the love from the community that you guys have created surrounding this show and this game is so incredible, and especially since the launch.
Sandeep Parikh:Yeah, I feel I never felt so supported doing a show I mean, like usually you do a show. I mean, I haven't done a lot of crowdfunding in the past, so this was my first crowdfunding effort period, but I think also because of the goals, the mission of this show in particular, right, it was especially. Not only were you obviously supported by people, but I think people really got behind the concept of like, hey, I wanna see brown people representing themselves around the table as the stars of a show and living in a mythos that is our, from the mythology that we grew up with, and I could feel that coming through the internet screens. It was really palpable in a way that I didn't expect. It was really moving. So thank you everybody here who supported everybody at home and supported us. It brought me to tears many, many times and I'm one of those guys that's like no, I should never cry, cause that makes me feel weak. But then I did a lot.
Anjali Bhimani:Usually it's because I beat him up.
Sandeep Parikh:That's usually why he's crying. So it's really wonderful.
Anjali Bhimani:No, you are such a I'm very excited and, without spoiling anything, there is a gorgeous scene that Sandeep has in an upcoming episode that I know you from working with you on set. What do we change the name to Wizard School Dropout Wizards School Dropout yeah so, and I know you both. You and Anand both from there, and so I know you as this comedy guy.
Anjali Bhimani:I know you as a super fun comedy guy and to see the vulnerability that comes out from someone the first time you get to see it and the first time you get to see, no, I'm doing it the first time you get to see that vulnerability underneath all of that is just breathtaking and I'm so excited about that scene. It's a really special one.
Sandeep Parikh:It's such a function of. I mean, I think the TTRPG format really lends itself well to that, which I didn't fully appreciate. I mean, obviously I'd seen enough of it and I was like I wonder if I'll go there, cause I am my crutch is comedy. Yeah, it's like it's-.
Anjali Bhimani:This is apparently the international symbol For comedy. Everybody dances with their elbows when they do comedy, right To the left and the right.
Sandeep Parikh:Yeah and so like. Listen, I was born and raised in New Hampshire. I was the one right, exactly the chuckles mean everything like exactly how I felt the entire time Was, you know, I was the only brown dude within a thousand miles, it felt like. And so to build a tough skin, it was like, oh, you just crack jokes about everything.
Sandeep Parikh:You know you're kind of like that's the way you sort of kung fu away anything that would sort of approach you know your heart you know, in a hurtful way, and if you could do that, then it showed you owned it, and then you, and then people were more comfortable around you as a result, and so then it lessened any of those blows and it made it feel like, oh, you can, you can razz on each other, you can chum with each other, and so that's, I think you know, has always been my go-to. So now, doing this show not around, you know, predominantly white people or people that aren't Indian or South Asian it was a different, it was just a different experience. Obviously I felt like I was exposed in a way that I hadn't, you know sort of expected.
Anjali Bhimani:Yeah, I think also, like you were saying, specifically this genre of entertainment, the TTRPG, actual play, whether it's live or whether it's recorded. One of the nine gazillion things I love about it is that it allows you to have the highs and the lows of life and really explore all of that. And it's such a constant reminder that even in life you can be laughing your ass off one minute and then something can completely shift that.
Sandeep Parikh:And then you can go like oh, and then fucking, Luis Carazo comes in, and then Luis Carazo comes in, and then three sentences and you're fucking weeping. Yeah, exactly.
Anjali Bhimani:And all the girls are like hi, and he's like I'm gay and I'm sorry, guys, you're not my type, but I'm a lovely human being.
Sandeep Parikh:We love Luis so, so much. Oh my God.
Anjali Bhimani:He's so, oh, what a lovely human. But obviously everyone who is here I am assuming has had some experience with TTRPGs but maybe not everybody who's listening has and I hope that everyone who is listening takes at least one chance to play some kind of tabletop role-playing game to put yourself into that experience with a roomful of friends a roomful of fun people who care about you and love you and want you to succeed, whatever that looks like. Because so? Okay, this is one way, this is another reason.
Sandeep Parikh:I love TTRPGs.
Anjali Bhimani:Okay, so how do I say this without sounding like a douche? I just used the word. I don't know if I'm supposed to say that word anymore.
Sandeep Parikh:I'm an old Indian woman.
Anjali Bhimani:I'm allowed to say anything. We'll, bleep douche, you can bleep that, thank you, thank you. So I was in London and I was at the Critical Role Live play there at Wembley and I realized I was talking, but I was talking with Matt before the show and they were all a little nervous, understandably.
Anjali Bhimani:But what I realized in that moment is that I had seen musicians play there because of Rick. I had seen Rick is my husband and, yes, I'm going to brag about him, he's a musician, he's played Wembley Aha, the end, I didn't know that's cool, yeah, twice Sick. But so I've seen musicians play there. I've seen sports matches there, but to see one of these live plays there is a completely unique situation because when people are playing sports or when musicians are there, there is always someone in the audience who is not looking for them to fail, but if they don't make the goal or don't make you know, if something goes wrong, they are ready to jump on them. When someone rolls a natural one in a TTRPG people are excited and supportive.
Anjali Bhimani:There's no failing Like you'll hear the oh, but it's not at you, it's not at the player, it's for the character. And then you're excited to see where the story goes and it's fun. And if they're laughing, if the audience is laughing, or if the people are playing, you're playing with they're laughing, they're laughing with you. That's the thing, because you're not there to win.
Sandeep Parikh:Hey, so sorry to interrupt, but the rest of this episode is for our Patreon subscribers only. So if you'd like to hear the rest of this juicy conversation, let me tell you it gets juicy. There's another 50 minutes 50, 5-0, of this conversation over at patreoncomcom.
