'This show was to say that I'm not dead yet': Papa CJ
too
seriously.
A passport full of stories — but Kolkata's still the one
Having performed in over 40 countries, Papa CJ brought with him not just jokes but luggage full of lived experience — from the strange intimacy of performing for Russian oligarchs to being handed a mic in a prison. And yet, it was his Kolkata references — the nostalgia-soaked ones — that got the biggest cheers. 'This city taught me how to survive middle-class chaos and still laugh,' he hinted, each punchline landing with the warmth of an inside joke.
A night of jokes, jolts, and just enough vulnerability
The stories came thick and fast — falling off cliffs in Ladakh, heartbreaks in hotel rooms, gigs with fevers that should've had him in bed, not on stage. But they weren't there for applause or sympathy. CJ's specialty is turning life's worst punchlines into actual punchlines — breakups become scripts, fractures become shows. He doesn't preach it, but the message is there: if life throws a brick at you, find the funny and throw it back.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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'In the end, I'm a man of comedy. No matter what life throws, I'll find the punchline.'- Papa CJ
More than comedy
At points, the set felt like open mic night for the audience too. Hands shot up, questions flew, and CJ let the chaos in — sometimes steering it, sometimes just watching it unfold. It was part stand-up, part group chat, and somehow, it all held together. Especially that moment when he deadpanned, 'I'm not dead yet.' A joke, yes. But also a thesis for the night.
CJ never said it outright, but the subtext was loud: survival is funnier in hindsight — especially if you're holding a mic.
"Also for those of you who don't know I actually grew up in Calcutta. I lived here for 19 years and anywhere in the world where I go people ask me where are you from? I tell them I live in Delhi now, but I am from Calcutta. So it's wonderful to be back here."- Papa CJ
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