Not so Naked

If you are a stand-up comedy enthusiast in India, there is no way you won't know about Papa CJ. He has been in the comedy circuit for over 10 years now and all the shows that I have attended so far have been sell-outs. 
But, when I booked the tickets to Papa CJ’s widely acclaimed show, Naked, I went in expecting something out of the ordinary, to be sure. Having read about it and even watched his interview related to it, it did seem like a very new format.

It was a stand-up comedy, of course, but one with a twist. It is about CJ’s life. So it is interspersed with hilarious jokes (and adolescent ones – probably to cater to all demographics) and funny instances from his life, but then there is the other layer. This layer describes his disappointments, his failures and even gives us a peek into what keeps him going and what fuels him to excel.

Because it makes you laugh, and it makes you sad, Naked has you more gripped than a pure comedy does. Not to mention the fact that CJ actually undresses, one piece of clothing at a time, as a metaphorical reference to baring his soul, which makes is more impactful. As a result of the compelling complexity that he brings to the show, by the time I walked out of the show, I felt that the ground beneath my feet had moved just a little.

And this is not even the best part: I was still processing the experience, a good four days after having watched the show. The part of me that writes, was certainly at a loss for words, and that does not happen often. And there is still some processing to do here, which has to do with the question: If he performs his life again and again, can he remain authentic? Or does it then just become his meal ticket? Does it make him actually emotionally removed from his life, so that he enacts it every time? If so, is that necessarily bad or bad at all? And then the more basic question – Is it even his real life? I mean, after all he is a performer. And a comic. It could all just be a show, sold as his real life. If that is the case, is it ethically right?

And that is the irony. Someone has just put all their vulnerabilities on the table for you. And yet, when you come out, there is a feeling that now you know them even lesser than you did earlier. The show, is a real mind trip. Not to mention the fact that there is something to think about for women, in particular. If I say anything else, it will be a spoiler, but it is an important part of the whole story. 

But besides all these points, the fact remains that even if it is not his story, it can still be anyone’s story. Even if he is enacting it, he is telling a tale worth hearing.

In the end, it might make you consider more and certainly see things in a different context. Like, Right Here Waiting. When they inexplicably played the song while we were seated and waiting for the show to start, I was thinking to myself, oh god, what is this corny 1990s business going on here? By the time I walked out, I was hearing it in a completely different context.