The mere mention of his name is enough to bring a smile on the faces of his audience. Short in stature, Tatwaprakash Satapathy, today is indeed a big name in Odisha’s entertainment industry. Better identified as Pappu Pom Pom, he has established himself as a brand name in the field of comedy. Yet he remains a people’s man. In a tete-a-tete with Diana Sahu, the talented actor speaks of how laughter changed his life and made him a household name.No less a musicianI was into singing and have lent my voice to around 60 music videos. But then the music industry started being saturated with people who had nothing to do with music at one stage. This is when I decided to quit and chose a different profession. Comedy was somewhere in my mind and I began my career as a comedian on an experimental basis with Radio Chocolate. My first show was ‘Pappu Pom Pom’ after which people identified me by this name. There was no looking back after that. But it did take me many years and struggle to establish myself.Live life humour sizeThe roles offered to me are diverse and aplenty. I observe people and their mannerisms and I feel that one cannot fake a joke, and if it is stale people will reject the comedian. I have gone on a self-introspection mode and wondered a zillion times about my face that has given me the titles and the affection of the vast Odia populace. It is said that a person who makes other people laugh has a lot of pain in his heart. On the contrary, I have thoroughly enjoyed being a comedian and don’t nurse such thoughts.Reality CheckTalent is an essential ingredient but success also needs that amazing feature called luck. There are so many talented people in this field. But how many have made it big? These days, every hero and villain too, wants to make the audience laugh and hence they put on our shoes too. Therefore it becomes all the more important for us to innovate, keep dishing out new stuff for film/TV buffs to laugh. And that makes it tough.Talking comedyOnce it was the facial expression and body language that made a comedian popular like Charlie Chaplin or closer home - Mehmood. Today, the trend is talking comedy. I believe comedy is half intelligence, half execution. It is not necessary to make faces to look comic, neither one needs to deliver below the belt dialogues to tickle that funny bone.Film CareerI have acted in 15 to 20 films so far. But these days, I have become choosy about my roles because I do not want to be repetitive. I did 13 films in 2010 and the number was just two last year. I think my role in ‘Balunga Toka’ has been the best in 2011. This year, I plan to come out with two to three movies where I get to play the lead. In fact, my first movie as a male lead is ‘Rangeela Toka’ which is scheduled for a March 23 release.Current ProjectsI am currently working on Tarang Channel’s Excuse Me Please ... Jaha Kahibi Sata Kahibi. I have already showcased 218 characters in Excuse Me Please and when the number crosses 250, we would apply for a record in the Limca Book of World Record. These are two shows where I try to give my best to every episode, be it a political satire or a common man’s role.
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