Raju Chaiwala from The Kapil Sharma Show is busy gorging on gobhi and saag while educating the masses about YtheWait, an app that makes eating out a smooth businessOver a cup of tea

Mona

“There are only two chaiwalas who are working,” opens up Chandan Prabhakar, in Chandigarh on Tuesday. “One is running the country, another one Kapil Sharma’s show!”

In love with piping hot, milky tea, the famous Raju Chaiwala from The Kapil Sharma Show, does admit, “Wherever I go people offer me tea. But it’s not just for tea that I do what I do.”

In fact, he’s a true blue Punjabi from Amritsar, who has been calling Mumbai home for a while now. Just in time up North for gobhi and saag that he’s in love with, he complains, “Though one can have Punjabi food in Mumbai but somehow it never tastes the same.”

In fact, it was a foodie’s trip that brought him to Chandigarh, to launch YtheWait. “With this app, customers no longer need to wait for a table at their preferred restaurant. Instead, one can schedule their table, order their food to an online service and it is quick and smooth.” Personally, however, Chandan loves dining out as much as he loves enjoying street food.

As for comedy, he insists Punjabis do only two things well – eat and laugh, and make people laugh. “In Amritsar the saying is that at any given point of time half of Amritsar is busy eating, the other half…well, cooking!” As for the jolly part, he credits it to putting his heart over mind. “One should take life easy; thinking too much is a waste of time. One should follow one’s heart.”

The comedy scene has got a makeover ever since he joined the industry; more shows on TV, comic nights are mushrooming over cities and towns. “Life’s becoming too tough with its stresses and strains; each one of us is looking for that moment of relief.” Ask him about his favourites, he names his friend Kapil Sharma, “Apart from him, I like myself too quite a bit.”Ask him if the wedding has changed Kapil, pat comes the reply, “The only time that now he’s speaking is on stage.”

For aspiring artistes in the world of laughter, Chandan insists, “Comedy to koi sikha nahi sakta, yeh to bachcha maa ke pet se hi seekh kar aata hai (comic timing is a natural gift that cannot be taught). He admits that many approach him to teach them comedy, “I tell them either you have that funny-bone or you don’t. No one can teach it,” says as he returns to his hot, milky tea!