Stand-up comedy doesn’t get documented much beyond the art form itself. Just like most emerging trends that are becoming dominant, we’re slowly heading to that point where it should be. A BTS of a popular comedian’s tour (in an Amazon Prime-esque way), a primer to getting into the comedy scene, or a detailed run-down of the scene as a long editorial. The works, you know.
The need to make the most of my Kindle Unlimited subscription and a punt on something I wouldn’t necessarily take up led to picking up Naked by Papa CJ. He’s been around the block, in a steady rise to the global scene in the last decade and a half. A lot of people give Vir Das, quite deservedly, the credit for pushing the comedy culture in India with his open mics and Papa CJ is pretty much the Delhi equivalent. Titled the same as his popular standup-show (which did the rounds in the last few years), the book does live up to its name. CJ bares it all, in a candid retelling of his life up to this point. The comedian’s upbringing in Kolkata, Sanawar, and Delhi, his jump to Oxford and travails in the UK, and his life in comedy are the broad themes that he plays around. He talks about Kolkata with a lot of love and emotes the typical feelings the city tends to generate – laidback and timeless. He describes his time at the Lawrence School, Sanawar, replete with typical Indian boarding school tropes. He alternates between streaks of determined ambition and reveling in the little joys of youth and friendship. You can see it when he chooses to drop out of college and opt for a correspondence course just to be able to spend more time with family and friends. You can also see it when he has this incessant drive to make it a top business school abroad. I guess it’s representative of the man himself, confident enough to take a year-long sabbatical from work and brave enough to do endless open mic gigs, come what may, to make his name in the space. It’s an interesting life story and keeps you engaged but I really wish there was a deeper look into the art form itself. I would have loved to read more about the construct of his comedy and style, beyond his evolution in the space.
The read: This is labeled as a memoir, but it feels like more of a conversation. I can totally see him dropping most of this on someone over a few drinks (or many). The writing’s fairly straightforward yet raw. Almost like his standup routine, it feels very direct and witty. He leaves no stones unturned, particularly in the final chapter where he talks about his personal life. For most of the book, I was charmed by his witticisms and the numerous pranks he’s been in the thick of. But I wanted to put an arm out and hug the man for the closing lines of the book. I’m sure it must have taken some doing to pen that bit. It’s a nice, little read about a man who’s picked up the less trodden path, made it his own, and is very comfortable in his own skin. Boxer shorts or not, Papa CJ is as naked as it gets.
30/365.
Trivia: CJ’s name is always a topic of discussion but he sure has branded it well. In his own words, “I didn’t put much thought behind the name. It was spontaneous. However, I was the only Indian comedian on the scene back then in the UK and always tried to project India in a positive light. So, perhaps, subconsciously I wanted the British to think unka bhi koi baap hai.” (Reference)
Documentation:
Book: Naked
Author: Papa CJ
Year of release: 2019
Publisher: Westland