“I’m still standing up — Spiritually chaotic, shamelessly honest”
Globally acclaimed comedian Papa CJ is returning to public stages with his brand-new show, Still Standing Up. Known for his raw, no-holds-barred humour and razor-sharp improvisation, CJ speaks to us about what drew him back into the limelight, how comedy has evolved in India, and why this new chapter is all about showing up — unapologetically, vulnerably, and hilariously. In an exclusive chat with The Pionerr, he opens up about pushing boundaries, embracing emotional honesty on stage, and why he now cares less about applause and more about authenticity
Highlighted quote: The title is just a copy and paste of my Tinder bio. The show will be a reflection of the kind of live stand-up I love the most. I’m a club comic at heart and unlike the nicely edited reels you see online, this show will be a spontaneous, unpredictable mayhem of fun
Tejal Sinha
With a mic in one hand and mischief in his eyes, Papa CJ — the globetrotting stand-up comic who lit up stages from Edinburgh to New York — is back where it all began. India. Known for his razor-sharp wit, spontaneous crowdwork, and disarming honesty, CJ returns to the public spotlight with his new multi-city tour titled Still Standing Up.
After years away from the public spotlight, Papa CJ, the irreverent, sharp-witted pioneer of Indian stand-up, is back — and he’s unapologetically bringing the chaos with him. Known as one of the earliest faces of modern Indian comedy, Papa CJ is all set to embark on a multi-city India tour titled “Still Standing Up”, kicking off on July 25 and running through August. But don’t call it a comeback — the man never really left. He’s just been performing in quieter corners of the comedy world, away from the noisy glare of reels and hashtags.
“The title is just a copy and paste of my Tinder bio,” he quips, in classic Papa CJ fashion. “The show will be a reflection of the kind of live stand-up I love the most. I’m a club comic at heart and unlike the nicely edited reels you see online, this show will be a spontaneous, unpredictable mayhem of fun.”
That spirit of unpredictability is what sets this tour apart. While his last show Naked — which has since been published as a book — was a deeply personal and tightly woven narrative, Still Standing Up will be a different beast altogether. “This show will probably be different each time I perform it,” he explains. “I’ll be freestyling my way through crowdwork, material, and wherever the audience in the room takes me on the night.”
Though it might seem like a grand return to the stage, Papa CJ clarifies that he’s never stopped performing. “I’ve been on stage regularly across India over the last decade,” he shares, “but it’s been away from the limelight at closed-door corporate gigs. I couldn’t be bothered to do all the social media stuff required to build a massive public following.”
His honesty is refreshing — and so is his excitement for the upcoming public shows. “Public shows give you the freedom to play around a lot more than corporate gigs do,” he says. “I wouldn’t say I’m surprised by the Indian comedy scene, but I’m pleased to see its growth and so many comedians doing so well.”
Ask him how he prepares for a tour like this and the answer is delightfully chaotic. “I love that phrase, ‘spiritual chaos’. That’s how I like it to be,” he laughs. “Personally, I enjoy gigs that are as unscripted as possible. It keeps things fresh and forces me to be sharp. I’ve got a bank of material to fall back on, but my real preparation is mostly about getting into a naughty and playful state of mind. That’s the energy I want to bring.”
Over the years, Papa CJ’s humour has stayed grounded in improvisation and wit, and when asked if his humour has evolved with time or global exposure, he simply shrugs it off: “Nah, I’m still as immature as I always was!” he says with a grin. “In fact, I think I need to go back to my roots more. Somewhere along the way, people started taking comedy too seriously, and that takes some of the joy out of it. I just want my audience and me to have fun together.”
On the ever-looming shadow of political correctness and cancel culture, Papa CJ doesn’t lose sleep. “I don’t really think about either,” he says. “I get a sense of my audience and their sensibilities on the night and then playfully dance on their line, wherever that might be. The audience always knows that my intention is never to be hurtful. When they sense that energy, they allow you to get away with a lot more mischief than you might expect!”
Having performed everywhere from the Edinburgh Fringe to corporate boardrooms, CJ’s ability to read a room is unmatched. While he doesn’t believe in broad-brushing audiences — “Every audience is different” — he does note a key distinction: “At places like the Fringe, you get more internationally diverse audiences, which gives you a different set of toys to play with. But what I love about touring in India is that my audiences tend to range from the age of 18 to 80. That gives me a lot to play with.”
And if you thought he took a break from stand-up, think again. “I didn’t take any break. You just weren’t seeing what I was up to!” he clarifies. “I’m an analogue man in a digital world, so not everything I do is visible to the public eye. Also, while a certain level of visibility is a by-product of what I do, I’m not really drawn to fame. You’ll only see stuff online when I absolutely have to or need to post something.”
So why now? What made Still Standing Up the show to bring to the public stage? It was all about the right moment and the right people. “I recently completed 20 years of doing stand-up, and when TribeVibe approached me and offered to organise an anniversary tour, I gladly accepted,” he says. “They took responsibility for pulling it all together and getting bums on seats and let me focus on doing only what I love doing – entertaining my audience.”
Touring in India today, he notes, is different than it was in the 2000s. “Audiences who attend public shows have gotten a lot younger,” he observes. “That’s also a factor of the comedians who are very popular and whose content they relate to. I’ve found that younger audiences tend to enjoy darker humour much more than older audiences. They also understand the format of stand-up now and really enjoy spontaneous crowd interaction.”
As for what’s changed in his own material over the years? “I give fewer f***s now,” he deadpans.
But don’t expect deep introspection or soul-searching in Still Standing Up. “This isn’t really a ‘set’. It’s anything but,” he says. “Nothing intense. Unlike Naked, the only tears you’ll have will be tears of laughter. Unless, of course, you happen to be in my front row — not that the back rows are safe either!”
Comedy, of course, is as much about timing as it is about relevance. How does Papa CJ stay culturally connected while remaining universally funny? “You just have to talk about the things your audience on the night cares about,” he explains. “You can either do that by doing a lot of pre-research and customising your set, or you can chat with the audience and go with the flow. The latter is my ‘plan’ for this tour.”
On the question of defining himself — comedian, performer, speaker, provocateur — he refuses to be boxed in. “I don’t feel the need to define myself. I’m privileged to be able to do so many things that I enjoy and am curious about. Some things overlap, some don’t. So I just follow the energy, calling and fun.”
For a comedian known to walk the fine line between laughter and truth, does using comedy to confront reality come at a cost? Perhaps. But for Papa CJ, it’s also been a source of healing — both for him and his audiences. “I’ve had audiences attend shows and find incredible catharsis for themselves when they’ve seen me use humour to process my pain and find my way to the other side,” he shares. “It has given them hope, confidence and inspiration, and that has made those shows worthwhile.”
But Still Standing Up is a different kind of show. It’s not a memoir. It’s not a message. It’s mischief. It’s fun. And it’s a reminder that no matter what life throws your way — you can still stand up, mic in hand, and laugh.
Before signing off, Papa CJ made it a point to compliment the conversation, saying, “Kindly compliment the journalist on the quality of their questions. I really enjoyed thinking about and answering them.”
