You Must Be Joking

The result is that he travels nine months a year and is now home for his first major holiday after Last Comic Standing. Home is a beautiful barsati in Delhi where he plays down the hype of the American TV show. He says 8220;Comedians in the US used to say 8216;Oh my god, 10 million people watch this programme8217;, to which I said 8216;I come from India. If I open my bathroom window and crack two jokes, 10 million people will show up to listen to it live!8217;8221;.

CJ even his mother calls him this was trekking the usual route of a good, desi boy, arming himself with an MBA from Oxford University and landing a management consultanting job in London in 2000. 8220;Four years of office work followed. Then, somebody hauled me to a stand-up comedy show in Edinburgh and I thought if you could make a living telling jokes on stage, I didn8217;t want to be in an office anymore. Waking up late, never having to commute at rush hour, traveling to interesting places all over the world, working less than two hours a day, exercising free speech in its truest form and of course, spreading laughter and cheer8212; surely that was better than any nine to five job,8221; declares CJ.

After some thought he resigned from his job to pursue a career in comedy and soon found that it8217;s no laughing matter. 8220;In the first nine months, I travelled to 250 cities doing five to 10 minute shows and not getting paid at all,8221; he says. 8220;The big, major acts were reserved for the guys with a proven track record.8221; As his savings depleted, he began to learn not just the art of writing a great punchline and telling it right, but also the art of squeezing his way into 8220;the intensely competitive world of international comedy where the audience could boo and bay for your blood8221;.

CJ must have spoken the right lines because he now has a packed calendar that included performances in Africa, Europe, North America and Asia. 8220;I gave the nod to the Last Comic Standing in January because it meant a free trip to Miami. Then, I made it to the higher ranks and traveled to Vegas, the Mecca of Comedy, and it was an amazing feeling to have thousands of people in the audience. Everytime I paused before a punchline, there was pin-drop silence,8221; he said. As far as he was concerned, the show was over in Vegas when he made it into the top 10 and the reality TV segment of the show. 8220;I prefer my audiences live,8221; he says 8220;and I came to the US to do stand-up comedy, not be a part of reality TV8221;.

Papa is careful to avoid being slotted as a desi comedian, a Black comedian or a Bush basher. So, he puts the world on a platter and poked fun at them all8212; Bush, Queen Elizabeth II, desi aunties, terrorists, racists, airlines, traffic lights and more. If there is something CJ is serious about, it8217;s the state of comedy in India. 8220;It is certainly not a lack of talent, it is the lack of sponsors. If I get sponsorship, I can bring world-class comedians here every week,8221; he says. Until that happens, London and the US are his playing grounds. On the flight, some traveller sitting next to him will ask where he8217;s going, to which CJ will deadpan the standard quip, 8220;My seat is going to London, where is your8217;s going?8221;

Papa CJ will perform at Kamani Auditorium on 28 Dec. For ticket details log on to PAPACJ.com.