Known for making people laugh till their cheeks hurt and his ability to crack people up using any accent or dialect thrown at him, Purneken Imsong of Chuchuyimlang village was one of the most crazed comedians from Mokokchung.
At fifty-five, the comedian is now settled with his family in Diphupar ‘B’ Dimapur but has not yet stopped entertaining people.
Reminiscing on the good old days, and also to know more about his present, Mokokchung Times catches up with the legendary comedian.
MTNews: Thank you very much for this opportunity with you. It’s an honor.
Pur: First of all, I would like to thank you all for the opportunity to feature me in your daily edition and feel honored to be interviewed even though I don’t deserve such recognition.
MTNews: It’s a pleasure. So, kindly tell us what you have been up to these days.
Pur: Well, I am currently settled here in Dimapur but because of the pandemic and also because my stand-up partner, who unfortunately passed away in the 2nd of this month, was in poor health for a long time; so, my activities in public platforms were restricted. However, I still do stand-up comedy whenever people invite me to perform in functions or during any events depending upon my schedule.
MTNews: We have seen you perform live on various occasions before. Kindly tell us some remarkable experiences you have had in this journey of yours.
Pur: Yes, almost all of my performances were live and there was this ‘Laughter Challenge Nagaland’ where I was adjudged the winner. The experience I had participating in that event was one of a kind because it was the first time I participated in a competition and interacting with other fellow contestants made me ponder on so many things about life and this experience was a memorable one which I cherish till today.
MTNews: People often say that the interesting thing about your joke is your ability to speak various dialects and accents very fluently depending upon your need. How’s that possible?
Pur: From a very young age I was very interested in learning different dialects not only of different tribes but even the various Ao accents that different villages shared and maybe that’s how I somehow became fluent in many dialects (laughs).
It did actually help me in my performance while touring different districts, like when I was in Wokha, I used a Lotha accent mixed with certain Lotha dialect which makes it easier for that particular community to understand my jokes and connect with me easily.
MTNews: Do you think a career as a ‘comedian’ in Nagaland is a good choice?
Pur: In our days, various groups and organizations invited us without any quoted fee and we used to oblige and get paid according to their budget. It was with sheer determination, hard work and passion that we somehow survived (Laughs). I don’t think it would be wise to be a standup comedian here in Nagaland (Not discouraging upcoming comedians) unless you are being paid upfront but I do see changes in our society today where people pay to watch shows from well known comedians. If the trend continues then I am sure that you can make a career as a standup comedian with so many platforms at your disposal these days.
MTNews: What do you miss the most about your comedian career? Would you like to tell us the type of comedy you prefer?
Pur: The excitement on the faces of people when I go up on stage is what used to motivate me and it’s something I miss more than anything in my standup career. I would do anything to be up on stage again to experience that. I like comedy which has a social meaning/lessons which in turn makes an impact on the society positively. I like it more when there is sarcasm involved (laughs).
MTNews: We believe the journey of a comedian might be very tasky. Were there any shortcomings you have come across?
Pur: There is no such thing as an easy pie in any field that you choose. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s all because of hard work, determination and passion that made us sail through. We all have our shortcomings and yes, I was summoned by a village council because they felt that one particular joke was not funny (Smiles) and made me write an apology letter in the newspaper. This made me realize that I should have thought twice while cracking jokes about someone or about a particular village. That was when I decided to give up but everyone has their own flaws and imperfections and I am not an exception. I learned a lesson though but nonetheless, I continued my journey (Smiles).
MTNews: Any advice that you want to put forward for fellow aspiring comedians.
Pur: Hard work, strong determination and, most importantly, passion is all it takes for a successful career in this field.
MTNews: A message to our readers.
Pur: I hope and believe that you all have learned something positive from what I shared and would also like to request you all to forgive me if I have offended anyone in any way while answering those questions. I love you all and will continue to entertain you in the future and also hope that we all meet again in sound health. Thank you.