Stripped of all pretences

Papa CJ performs Naked at Soho Theatre in London. Pic/Steve Best

Naked. It's a loaded word that doesn't just refer to a person shorn of all their clothes. The term can also refer to someone who chooses to take off the masks that we wear every day to ascribe to acceptable norms of society. That's the meaning which comedian Papa CJ alluded to when he chose that title for a stand-up routine of his that debuted at Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2015. "The ethos behind the word is that as human beings, we constantly build a wall around ourselves to hide our inner desires. But over the course of this show, I remove that wall one brick at a time. I expose my vulnerabilities, which can be exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. But in the end, I am completely free," he explains.

It's thus an autobiographical endeavour, and the show will be available for streaming for the first time ever this weekend. "The reason I am releasing it now is that, essentially, this is a show about hope, and I can't think of anything else that people need more at a time like this," the Delhi resident tells us.

But he also adds that viewers are free to derive their own takeaways from it, because the routine comprises different facets of the comedian's life that he lays bare before the audience. Every person will thus be able to relate to a certain aspect that resonates with him or her. Papa says, "It's like, when you look at a painting, I can't tell you that this is what I want you to feel. The beauty of the show is that it forms a strong emotional connect with the audience and each person takes away something that is personal to them. They take away that part of the routine that overlaps between their own stories and mine."

These overlaps are cloaked in humour, but the comedian clarifies that 20 per cent of the show is deeply intense. "People are left with tears in their eyes." He says that there is not a single person whose life is without pain and suffering. "But given that I am a comedian, I am able to channelise that pain into humour. When the audience sees that, they realise that they can do the same with their own sufferings and they are able to reach a point of catharsis as a result."

That catharsis is what the word ‘naked' implies in this context. So, check out the link below, tune in at the appointed hour, and ultimately, break down your wall and take off your masks. Hopefully, the experience will leave you feeling as free as Papa does.

On: May 14 onwards
Log on to: in.bookmyshow.com
Cost: Rs 399