Category: television

**Neville Bharucha Makes His Netflix Debut in *The Ba***ds of Bollywood* as DJ Adam**

Neville Bharucha, a renowned comedian and improv trainer, recently made his Netflix debut in *The Ba***ds of Bollywood*, playing the very lovable music composer DJ Adam. In the series, his character partners with Manoj Pahwa’s Avtar Singh, and together they not only create a viral track but also bring their own dose of humour and drama to the show.

In an exclusive interaction with *The Free Press Journal*, Neville shares insights about landing the role, working with Aryan Khan, his journey as a comedian and improv trainer, and much more.

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### How Did You Get Cast in *The Ba***ds of Bollywood*?

“I usually get calls for auditions for TVCs. I don’t often do movies or web series because they require a longer commitment, and since I teach improv and work with kids, it becomes difficult to juggle. So when I got a call to audition for this web series, I was initially hesitant. I said no because I wasn’t sure I’d have the time—plus, I was a school teacher at the time. But people encouraged me to try, and on the night I was flying off to Singapore, my wife said, ‘Just go for the audition, see what it’s like.’

The gentleman conducting the audition was absolutely wonderful; he gave me great pointers. I remember walking out of there feeling really confident. After that, I called my wife and said, ‘I think I’ll get this,’ and sure enough, a month later, they called to say I had snagged the role of DJ Adam.”

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### Tell Us About the Work Ethic of Aryan Khan

“Aryan Khan is probably one of the most sincere and hardworking people I’ve ever met. From the beginning right through the end, his enthusiasm never waned. I vividly remember the first narration of the opening scene — he narrated it with such excitement and energy that I immediately knew this was something special.

He’s a force to reckon with, with a wonderful vision, and he puts in all the effort in the world to bring that vision to life. He’s also a patient listener who genuinely values your input and ideas. Working with him is inspiring because he’s driven, excited, and by far, the most fun person to be around on set.”

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### Any Other Thoughts About Working with the Cast?

“The cast is a powerhouse of talent. Each member brings immense skill and experience to the project. Personally, my scenes with Manoj Sir were some of the most fun I’ve had on set. He is effortlessly funny—there’s not a single dialogue he can’t pull off. Many times, the whole crew would just applaud his performance. Sharing screen space with a veteran like him was honestly incredible.

The entire cast is warm, friendly, and always excited to see each other, which definitely shines through on screen. I’m truly grateful to be part of such a wonderful ensemble.”

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### What Made You Switch from Digital Marketing to Improv Training?

“I used to work in digital marketing, and I enjoyed it. But there wasn’t a clear moment when I said, ‘I want to leave marketing for improv.’ I wanted to explore a lot — stand-up, hosting events, and more.

What made me become an improv trainer was my love for teaching. I’ve always felt I was a good teacher. In 2018, I went abroad to study improv at esteemed institutions like UCB and The Second City. When I came back, I thought, ‘Now I’ve got all this knowledge, what next?’ I began taking a few classes, which did well, but they lacked structure.

Slowly, over the years, it grew bigger. Even during the pandemic, I was teaching online classes five days a week with people joining from all over the world. At that point, I realized this improv thing was really happening. Now, we have new batches every month at The Habitat in Khar, with 10 to 15 people joining regularly. It’s amazing to be part of a movement that wasn’t nearly as popular five or seven years ago.”

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### How Easy or Difficult Has It Been to Sustain Yourself as an Improv Trainer, Creative Writing Teacher, and Comedian?

“Over time, I’ve become good at what I do, which makes it easier. I always want to improve and be the best. I don’t seek validation but strive for personal perfection, aiming for people to say, ‘That was a great class’ or ‘That was really funny.’ I want a good reputation.

The challenge is that when you work independently, teaching and performing take up only about 30% of your time. The rest is spent on building the business, attracting students, managing accounts, and following up with people. It’s a lot of work behind the scenes.

But it’s a good trade-off because I get so much satisfaction from what I do.”

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### The Best Part About Being a Comedian

“The best part is making people laugh and feel good in the moment. I don’t see myself only as a comedian—I used to do stand-up but now focus more on improvisation. At my core, yes, I am funny, but what I really thrive on is entertaining people and making them happy. That’s the absolute best feeling in the world.”

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### The Worst Part About Being a Comedian

“The worst part is being the only one who finds yourself funny at times—and the delusion that you’re so good you can pursue it full-time. Also, I’m very scared of people not liking me. I really want everyone to like me—not for validation but because I don’t like being disliked. It makes me feel bad if someone doesn’t like me.”

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### Has a Comedian Ever Stolen Your Script or Performance? How Did You Handle That?

“No one has ever stolen a joke from me. Even if they did, I don’t think anyone can convincingly perform someone else’s material because what matters most is the point of view behind the material.

The audience appreciates authenticity, honesty, and vulnerability. If you take that away, the joke loses its essence.

Of course, some topics and punchlines might overlap occasionally. But an act is a whole package, and very often overlap happens unintentionally. Whenever there’s an issue, it’s usually solvable through conversation.

I assume joke-stealing happens more with bigger comedians, not me!”

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*Neville Bharucha’s journey from digital marketing to becoming a celebrated comedian and trainer exemplifies passion and perseverance. His portrayal of DJ Adam in* The Ba***ds of Bollywood *has made him a familiar face among audiences, and his dedication to improv continues to inspire many aspiring performers.*
https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/exclusive-the-story-behind-the-bads-of-bollywoods-dj-adam-aka-neville-bharucha-a-comedian-and-improv-trainer

**Neville Bharucha Makes His Netflix Debut in *The Ba***ds of Bollywood* as DJ Adam**

Neville Bharucha, a comedian and improv trainer, recently marked his Netflix debut in *The Ba***ds of Bollywood*, playing the very lovable music composer DJ Adam. In the series, his character partners with Manoj Pahwa’s Avtar Singh, and together they create a viral track while bringing their own dose of humour and drama to the show.

In an exclusive interaction with *The Free Press Journal*, Neville shared insights about how he landed the role, his experience working with Aryan Khan and the cast, his journey as a comedian and improv trainer, and much more.

—

### How Did You Get Cast in *The Ba***ds of Bollywood*?

“I usually get calls for auditions for TV commercials. I don’t typically do movies or web series because they require a longer commitment, and with my responsibilities as an improv teacher and teaching kids, it becomes quite difficult,” Neville revealed.

When he got the call to audition for the web series, he was initially hesitant. “I said no because I wasn’t sure if I’d have the time, especially since I was a school teacher at the time.”

However, encouraged by those around him and with a supportive nudge from his wife, who told him to just go for the audition, Neville decided to give it a shot.

“The gentleman conducting the audition was absolutely wonderful; he gave me great pointers. I remember walking out feeling extremely confident, and I called my wife saying, ‘I think I’ll get this.’ A month later, I got the call that I’d snagged the role of DJ Adam.”

—

### Tell Us About Aryan Khan’s Work Ethic

Neville had nothing but praise for Aryan Khan, the creator of *The Ba***ds of Bollywood*.

“Aryan Khan is probably one of the most sincere and hardworking people I know. From start to finish, his enthusiasm was infectious. The first narration of the opening scene had so much excitement and passion — from that moment, I knew this was something special.”

He described Aryan as “a force to reckon with” who possesses a wonderful vision and works tirelessly to bring it to life. “He is also a patient listener who considers everyone’s ideas and input.”

“Working with Aryan is incredibly inspiring because he’s driven and excited about every aspect of the project. Plus, he’s by far the most fun person to be around on set.”

—

### Working with the Cast: Any Thoughts?

“The cast is a powerhouse of huge talent,” Neville said. “Every member brings immense skill to the project.”

He singled out his experience acting alongside Manoj Pahwa: “My scenes with Manoj Sir are some of the most fun I’ve ever had on set. He’s effortlessly funny—there’s not a dialogue he can’t pull off. So many times, I remember the whole crew applauding his performances.”

“Sharing screen space with a veteran like him was honestly incredible. The entire cast is warm, friendly, and always excited to see each other. You can definitely see this camaraderie on screen.”

Neville expressed deep gratitude to be part of such a wonderful ensemble cast.

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### From Digital Marketing to Improv Trainer: What Inspired the Switch?

Before becoming an improv trainer, Neville worked in digital marketing and enjoyed it, but there was never a clear path.

“I wanted to try many things—stand-up, hosting events, and so forth. What really drove me to improv training was my love of teaching. I always felt I was a good teacher,” he shared.

In 2018, Neville traveled abroad to study improv at esteemed places like UCB and The Second City. Upon returning, he started offering classes locally.

“It began as a whim with just a couple of unstructured classes, but over time, it grew steadily,” he recalled. “During the pandemic, I was teaching online classes five days a week with students joining from all over the world.”

Now, Neville runs regular batches at The Habitat in Khar, with 10 to 15 students joining every month. “It’s overwhelmingly wonderful to see improv gaining popularity, something that wasn’t as common five to seven years ago.”

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### Sustaining Yourself as an Improv Trainer, Creative Writing Teacher, and Comedian

Neville explained the challenges and rewards of managing multiple creative roles independently.

“It becomes easier over time as you get better at what you do. I’m always striving to be the best, not for validation, but for my own sense of perfection. I want every class to be great and my performances to be funny.”

However, he noted that running your own business means spending a lot of time on non-teaching tasks.

“Teaching and performing only take up about 30% of my time. The rest goes into building the business, marketing, handling accounts, following up with students, and improving the experience.”

Despite the workload, Neville said the trade-off is worth it because of the immense satisfaction he derives from his work.

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### The Best Part About Being a Comedian

“The best part is making people laugh and bringing happiness in the moment,” Neville said. “I don’t see myself just as a comedian—I consider myself more of an improviser these days. The entertainment quotient and the joy of making people feel good is what I truly love and thrive on.”

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### The Worst Part About Being a Comedian

He admitted that sometimes, the hardest part is dealing with self-doubt and fear of rejection.

“The worst thing is being the only one who finds yourself funny or thinking you’re good enough to pursue comedy,” he joked.

“I’m also scared of people not liking me. Not for validation, but I genuinely feel bad if someone doesn’t like me.”

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### Have You Ever Faced a Situation Where a Comedian Stole Your Script or Performance?

“No one has ever stolen a joke from me,” Neville said confidently.

He believes that while jokes might sometimes overlap, it’s the comedian’s unique point of view (POV) that makes the material authentic.

“The audience appreciates honesty and vulnerability on stage. You can’t convincingly perform someone else’s material because that authenticity gets lost.”

Neville added that conversations usually resolve any issues around joke ownership and that if such incidents happen, it is usually better comedians whose material gets stolen — and he doesn’t consider himself one of them.

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Neville Bharucha’s journey from digital marketing professional to acclaimed comedian and improv trainer, culminating in his exciting Netflix debut, is a testament to passion, persistence, and the power of following one’s creative instincts. Fans of *The Ba***ds of Bollywood* and comedy enthusiasts alike will surely enjoy seeing him bring DJ Adam to life on screen.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/exclusive-the-story-behind-the-bads-of-bollywoods-dj-adam-aka-neville-bharucha-a-comedian-and-improv-trainer