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Behind his comic persona, Santosh Pant is a happy man!
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When he strolls around for a morning walk in his track suit, Santosh Pant looks exactly like that one character you remember from his popular sit-com. His simple gestures and easy attitude carry the same air that he has been seen pulling off in most of the episodes of the much loved sit-com in Nepali television history.
One of the top comedians of the country who became a household name after the television series “Hijo Ajaka Kura” has seen many changes in television and in his showmanship since the show hit the small screen in 1995. Though his persona and comic personality remains the same, the grey hairs extending from the bottom of his Dhaka topi speaks of years of experience.
“I think I was born with a silver spoon,” is how Pant summarizes his journey till now.
Inside the living room of his quiet residence at Dhapasi Heights, a large portrait of him dressed in army attire, he being awarded as an honorary member in the Nepal Army, is hung just across the entrance. As he asks his helper to serve the guest with a hot cup of lemon tea, specially mentioning that she use the lemon from their kitchen garden, he settles down for a long conversation with The Week.
He recollects his first stage performance when he was just three and a half years old. But it was when he was seven; he scored as a performer, claiming two gold medals the same year for his mono act in ‘All School Competition.’
Photo: Abhishek Shah
“I was awarded the medal from the then King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev,” says Pant.
His childhood accomplishments were not just a big boost to him but also his brother, who was the scriptwriter for his performances. In 1976, the then Royal Nepal Academy started ‘Gai Jatra Performances,’ a series of satirical performances from different comedians on various social and political issues. The following year, Pant also participated in the competition with the help of his brother and claimed the first prize. After that, every year till 1986, he never failed to win the competition.
“After 1986, I participated in the event but withdrew from the competition,” says the ace comedian.
During that period, he did numerous stage shows which aired live on radio as well. But it was very difficult to survive as a comedian once he had familial obligations to fulfill.
At the age of 21, he got married to his longtime sweetheart Pratibha. He fondly reminisces the time when he fell for her during their college days. “I actually scared her when I confessed my love for the first time,” he says.
No matter how annoyed Pratibha would be, Pant never stopped pursuing her. “Back then, I wasn’t the kind of guy a girl would like,” he says, describing himself as rude and impulsive.
Though he was always outspoken about his love for her, he chose the strangest ways to communicate the message. He recalls an incident when they were sitting in the class, and the teacher asked if they had any questions. He raised his hand and asked, “Sir, is falling in love a sin?”
“I know that made her furious back then,” says Pant, recalling the incident.
But he wasn’t the kind to give up easily. He pursued her for one and a half years before she finally relented. “I used to follow her from the college to her home every single day,” says Pant, echoing the room with a loud laugh.
Pratibha was not only his girlfriend but one who also assisted him in scriptwriting after they started seeing each other. “I had many ideas in my head but I was too lazy to put it on paper. So she used to write for me,” he says.
Though they were both young, their families agreed to get them married. “I was just studying and my father had agreed to the marriage under the condition that I get a regular job to support my family,” he says. Though Pratibha was already working as a teacher, Pant got a job after a few weeks of marriage.
His first job was at the Lali Gurans Cultural Centre as manager. Later, impressed by his communication skills, he was offered a job at Holiday Nepal Travel Agency, which was a very lucrative tourism operator in those days. He worked for the travel agency till 1985.
“My first love was always performance, which I never stopped during all those years,’ he says.
Even during his travel agency days, he used to dress up like a Sardarji while attending to Indian clients. The performer in him was always a part of his personality and still is. Even today, in a normal conversation, he adds some accent and a bit of caricature to spice up the chat, making his point as well as intriguing the other person.
Even though he wasn’t a fulltime performer then, his talents as a comedian, however, were not going unnoticed. After Nepal Television was established in 1983, performers like Pant were offered to join the institution, and in 1986 he took the offer. Since then, there has been no looking back.
“We didn’t have the slightest idea about filmmaking. I learnt everything about camera, direction and moviemaking through Nepal Television,” he says. Without any training, they started off with short television serials.
Photo courtesy: Santosh Panta
After working on a number of television series, in 1995, he started the sit-com “Aja Bholika Kura” which aired up to 17 episodes. The fortnightly show was an instant hit. The audiences adjusted their schedule according to the show’s time. “Then it occurred to me that the title wasn’t right,” says Pant, who was the scriptwriter, director and the main protagonist in the sitcom.
“I realized we should reflect on past events, too, so we changed the title of the show to “Hijo Ajaka Kura,” he says. The sitcom was aired weekly after 1996.
The show was an ultimate success, airing 565 episodes till it ended in 2006. It was a social comedy and portrayed the events in the society in a satirical way. Pant became an icon and is now a household name.
He credits all of this to Nepal Television. “I call it my mother institute. It not only gave me a platform to showcase my talents but taught me everything I know about the business,” he says.
Photo courtesy: Santosh Panta
The hit series revived in 2010, but this time on Kantipur Television. Some 110 episodes have been telecast since its second inception.
His son Sakar has also decided to follow his father’s footsteps, “He’s the one who looks after all of my works; from archiving old works to coordinating the new ones,” says the proud father.
Though both father and son have chosen the entertainment business, his wife and daughter like to remain aloof. And after the media hype about the sex change operation of his daughter earlier this year, they have become more protective about their privacy.
“I think my daughter and I are both lucky that we could understand each other and that I could afford the operation. Now I see her happy, and that makes me happy, too,” he says as his daughter, dressed in a kurta salwar, heads out.
Photo courtesy: Santosh Panta
Sitting leisurely in the warm winter sun, Pant shares a light moment with his wife. And when she isn’t around, he credits her for organizing his life, family and career so well that he could always live in bliss.
“I could focus on my work because she was there to support me throughout,” he says, adding that he will continue his work as long as he has her by his side.
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