Jogesh Jojo has carved a niche for himself in the world of comedy. He has already acted in 14 films alongside some of the biggest names from the Odia film industry and is counted among one of the first Sambalpuri comedians. Jojesh is also a popular face on YouTube and has more than 5.95 lakh subscribers.
Born to Dhanu Ugar and Jayanti Ugar in Rasiapali, a remote village in Sambalpur, Jogesh was a prankster since childhood. His quirky sense of humour made him popular among both students and teachers. However, he aspired to become an actor.
“I was a mischievous kid and a weak in studies. After completing school I thought of doing something to help my father. So, I set up a grocery store. The only good habit I had since childhood was reading the daily newspaper. One day, I came across an advertisement of Paniniprajna Cultural Academy, a drama institution. I convinced my mother and with help from my friends collected Rs 300 and went to Sambalpur. The entire amount went into paying my hostel rent. Those were very difficult times. I had no money to eat. I would manage to get food only if somebody from my hostel saw me sitting hungry,” says Jogesh, whose real name is Jogeshwar Ugar.
However, Jogesh didn’t give up. He took up a part-time job at a petrol pump. “I would pay the course fee from that money and save something to buy food. Two years later, I got an opportunity to participate in a comedy show, Comedy Darbar, which was aired on a regional channel. I was adjudged the second runner-up. I owe my success to my acting teacher Atish Kumar Satpathy,” says Jogesh.
The show worked wonders for him and he was soon roped in by the same channel to be part of its next comedy show Rang Tarang. The back-to-back success of the shows made Jogesh an overnight star. Offers for films started pouring in and since then there has been no looking back for the comedian.
“My first Odia film was ACP Sagarika, with actress Archita in the lead. I was the only comedian in the Odia film industry who spoke Sambalpuri language. So, the comedy I did was completely different. Even today, I am the only one who does Sambalpuri comedy. This went in my favour,” he says.
“The film was a hit and I was flooded with offers. Next, I did Tu Kahibu Na Mun, which was followed by Love Station alongside Babushan, and Sapanara Pathe Pathe with Sidddhant Mohapatra in the lead,” he adds.
He has also been part of other big hits like Akhi Kholile Tu Hi Tu, Tu Mo Love Story, Local Toka Love Chokha and Four Idiots. As his popularity continued to grow, Jogesh decided to try out something new and different. He soon launched his YouTube channel Paniniprajna in collaboration with the owner of the institute where he learnt acting. The channel was well received and Jogesh now decided to go solo and launched his own YouTube channel, Jojo J5.
“Today, I have almost six lakh subscribers and aim to cross one million by the end of this year,” says Jogesh, who has recently completed shooting for his next Mal Mahu Jiban Mati alongside actor Sabysacbhi.
“My YouTube channel has helped me a lot. Today, I am also getting offers for stand-up comedy. However, I will never change my comedy style. I hope my comic acts on YouTube and films both help in promoting the Sambalpuri culture. I also plan to produce Sambalpuri films in the future because movies in Sambalpuri language are not made in Odisha. Besides, I will soon launch a comedy show on the lines of The Kapil Sharma Show. It will be titled Sambalpuri Night with Jogesh Jojo. We have already shot a few episodes,” he says.
BRATATI BARAL, OP