The rise and fall of Odisha comedy actor Papu Pom Pom

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jul 3:

Tattwa Prakash Satpathy aka Papu Pom Pom who started his career as a radio jockey for a private radio channel and later entered Ollywood as a little-known comedy artist in a span of few years had turned a celebrity-a household name in Odisha.

Papu, who had come from a non-descript village from Kaptipada area of Mayurbhanj district gradually started to rule Ollywood.

This comedy artist who used to portray characters in a comedy serial aired by a private television channel who were always in the docks possibly could not have dreamt in the wildest of his dreams that one day he himself would be in the docks in real life.

Papu with dreams of a better future, in 1999 had moved to the state capital from Badasahipur village of Kaptipada with his lover turned wife. His friends arranged a hut for him to stay and to run his family, Papu used to work at a friend’s paan shop at CRP Square earning Rs 40/50 a day. It was here he got introduced to a popular actor of Ollywood who used to visit the paan shop. Papu told him that he had graduated in Science from Udala College and could sing songs. He told this senior actor if he could get a chance to serve him he would feel great. From that day, Papu worked for this senior actor from cooking food to carrying food to shooting sets.

Meanwhile, Papu started giving music lessons to students in the neighbourhood including the senior actor’s son. With the senior actor’s grace Papu managed to get small roles in films like ‘Tu Mo Akhi Ra Tara’ and ‘Pratham Prema’. Whenever he used to get an opportunity Papu used to give music direction for plays and act as a comedy artist in the plays.

It was in 2007, Papu got an offer to work as a radio jockey in a private radio channel. It is here he added Pom Pom to his name. These were the years when he was struggling. In 2009, Papu joined a private television channel as a comedy artist. It was here that Papu shot to fame by portraying lead characters in popular comedy serials like ‘Excuse Me’, ‘Faltu Katha’, Papu Beauty Parlour, ‘Excuse Me: Jaha Kahibi Sata Kahibi’ and ‘Gaan Akhada’. By portraying 250 different characters in these serials Papu entered his name into the ‘Limca Book of Records’-no mean achievement.

With this started flow of offers to Papu for acting in films and in a short span of time, he was the most popular comedian in Ollywood.

His stage shows did excellently well inside the state and even outside the country. With his talent in acting and gift of gab, Papu was so popular that it didn’t take long for him to play the character of the hero in films.

With his rising popularity, some builders and chit fund operators tried to encash his popularity for their dubious gains. One of them was Prabhas Rout, chief of Ponzi firm Oscar Group of Companies. Papu became so close to Rout that he convinced him to produce films in which he played the lead role and did everything from selection of cast to distribution of the film. Papu was a rich man by now.

It was at this juncture 2014 general elections came, Papu who at the height of his popularity earlier used to campaign for the BJD as a star campaigner was given a party ticket by Naveen Patnaik to contest from Champua Assembly seat. However, he lost the elections. After losing in the election, Papu was back into films in 2015 and acted in films produced by builders and chit fund operators.

Papu was now a leader of the ruling party and a top ranking actor of Ollywood and had become arrogant.

Insulting fellow artists and producers in the industry had become a routine affair for him. Probably, from here began his nadir.

It was casting couch allegations by female actors that put him in the docks. It was the allegation of a minor girl that Papu had sexually exploited her on the pretext of giving her a break in movies which turned out to be the final nail in the coffin leading to his arrest on June 30.

The actor is currently cooling his heels at Ward No. 18 in the third block of Jharpada Special Jail. His bail plea is scheduled for hearing at the Khordha District and Sessions Judge Court tomorrow.