Comedian Papa CJ

Born the son of a tea planter in India, Papa CJ spent his childhood at a boarding school in the Himalayas before going on to complete an MBA at the University of Oxford. Five years into a successful corporate career in London, he threw it all in to become a stand-up comedian.   Now widely recognised as the global face of cutting-edge Indian stand-up comedy and one of Asia’s leading comedians, Papa CJ has gone on to tour sell-out shows across four continents. In 2008, he represented India on NBC’s TV Show Last Comic Standing where, from amongst the thousands of global comedians who took part, he was placed in the top ten. He was also the first Indian comedian ever to be invited to perform at the prestigious Just for Laughs Festival in Canada in 2008 and has regularly performed at the Edinburgh Fringe.   Outside of his own country, Papa CJ’s comedy has been seen by over 10 million people. His TV credits include shows on various channels including Comedy Central, Showtime, Paramount, ITV, BBC, The Comedy Channel, and MTV. He has also been invited as a guest on multiple radio shows across the globe, including NPR in the USA and the BBC. In 2011 The Times of India called him the #1 stand-up comedian in India and Toastmaster International called him one of the most influential comedians around the world.   In the wake of such success, Papa CJ has not forgotten his roots. He uses comedy as a vehicle to support underprivileged children in India, getting them out of child labour and bringing them back into the formal schooling system. His UK registered charity One Child, which was founded by Papa CJ and has been largely funded through his comedy, has been successfully supporting a village of over 5000 people in West Bengal in India for over 6 years.  Papa CJ has also been instrumental in creating and growing the live stand-up comedy circuit in India at both an amateur and professional level. He is currently the Chief Entertainment Officer at The Papa CJ Comedy Company which manages comedy talent in India. Papa CJ has also worked with over 50 blue chip companies all over the world as an executive coach and motivational speaker and is also a qualified Laughter Yoga instructor.