Papa Do Preach

Four years ago,when he did a stand-up comedy show in the city,the venue had people stuffed like sardines in a tin.

Stand-up comedian Papa CJ,who says his biggest inspiration in comedy is Sachin Tendulkar,humoured the city on Friday

Four years ago,when he did a stand-up comedy show in the city,the venue had people stuffed like sardines in a tin. In the long time that he took to come back to Pune once again,stand-up comedian Papa C J has only become funnier and more famous,both nationally and globally. It was no surprise then that his show,organised by Q for Comedy at Ista Hotel,Nagar Road,was sold out on Friday night. Among others,we spotted Ajinkya and Aparna Firodia,Kumar and Nalini Gera,Nikhil and Richa Bhansali,Rakesh and Khushi Navani,Pavita Walvekar,Nishant Oberoi,and Chetan Wakalkar. When I last performed in Pune,my 45-minute show went on for an hour and a half. Post the show,when I was busy with media interactions,I had random aunties groping me, joked Papa CJ.

If this were a TV interview,the censor beep would buzz every other second. Not that it would stop you from laughing. As far as Im concerned,the shows aren’t ever going to be clean, he said. And he definitely lived up to his word – from sex-related jokes to profanity to picking on the audience,he had the crowd roaring with laughter. Comedy is very personal. Its the only profession where there are no barriers,no rules. Its almost like a journey of self-discovery, he says.

When Papa C J took to the comedy stage seven years ago,he did 250 shows in 10 months. But I still didnt think of myself as a comedian, he says. Today,after several hundred shows,he still has miles to go,he says. In the last one year,the business of comedy has boomed in almost every major Indian city,be it Delhi,Mumbai,Bengaluru or Pune. Three years ago,I started open mic nites in Delhi to encourage new talent. I think India is the easiest place for comedy, he says. Today,someone does three stand-up comedy shows,his photo is printed in the papers and he becomes famous. The risk is that people get famous before they get good.

He has oft been described as the Indian Chris Rock. I love Chris Rock for his personality, he says. Ask him to name comedians who inspire him and George Carlin comes the pat reply. For the intelligence of his material. But my biggest inspiration is Sachin Tendulkar. Hes been doing it for 21 years and is so humble about it! he says.

He has been invited to perform at ‘Live from Amsterdam’ a stand-up series hosted by Russell Peters commissioned by HBO/SHOWTIME USA. To be filmed in Amsterdam on October 25 and 26,the series brings together 24 of the most provocative voices in comedy from the UK,South Africa,Australia,United States and now India. He has performed and been lauded abroad. But the Indian audience is far more intelligent,he says. “Around the world,stand-up comedy is a grass roots art form. Its about breaking away and a form of protest. In India,however,its performed for the elite. So,instead of saying: (Beep) them,we say (Beep) you! he concludes.

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