Papa Nii became a household name, together with four others, for carrying the popular 1998 sitcom ‘Taxi Driver’ on their shoulders.

Taxi driver was a comedy TV series which portrayed the daily encounter and activities of taxi drivers and some hardcore passengers who together gave some interesting and good laughter during those days.

A particular scene will forever be embedded in the minds of fans; the right moment Papa Nii ‘rapped’ his friend TT for some “500 for something small to chop”.

As the flashback played on Adom TV’s Ahosepe Xtra show, a look of refreshment was evident on Papa Nii’s face as he exclaims that he remembers it like yesterday.

Explaining why that scene is pivotal to the success of the movie, Papa Nii told host Sister Sandy the reason is simple; his free flow of words and appropriate use of jargons excited the audience.

He learnt the jargons after he took the pain of joining some bus conductors to work, a move that was outside his movie script and was on the blind side of his producers.

After his first scene, he said the movie producers were impressed with his efforts and had to maintain his slot.

“My role was supposed to be a passing role but I executed it well and it became permanent. Initially, I was supposed to be an ordinary book man and I rose to station master and station MP who was handling all the affairs of the drivers,” he recounted.

Though the remuneration was not encouraging, Pattington Papa Nii Papafio said he has no regrets as, aside the fame, he also made some genuine friends.

Watch video below for Papa Nii’s interview on Ahosepe Xtra:

According to him, a person’s sole reliance on acting alone cannot help him withstand the storms that may blow in bad times.

“You are plying a trade and even fortunately for us, most of us were not professional actors but had our own professions before acting such that when the need arises; the acting goes down or whatever, you shouldn’t be found wanting,” he said.

Papa Nii of ‘Taxi Driver’ fame said this in an interview on Accra-based Class FM, adding that people must prepare for their future while they are still relevant in the industry.

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“In short, once you’re on heat, you need to prepare yourself and that is what I feel. Though I believe that the government should also invest into it, it has not been able to do so.

“The government stands to gain a lot if it would be as serious as it should be in that direction. Apart from that, whoever comes into the fray must also know what it entails,” he noted.

His advice comes on the back of many calls for help from veteran and ailing actors who in recent times have been reported to be languishing in pain and poverty.

Apart from ‘Taxi Driver’, Papa Nii was also famous for his use of jargons in several television productions and movies including Adults In Education, Dada Boat and Home Sweet Home among others.

The series was premiered on April 15, 2014 in India but hit Ghanaian screens in October 2015.
The show is loosely based on the novel Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.
It is an Indian interpretation which follows the love story of Abhi and Pragya. The pivotal characters of this show are strong, feisty women, living together in an all-female matriarchal family.
The series stars Sriti Jha, Shabbir Ahluwalia with Mrunal Thakur, Arjit Taneja/Vin Rana, Shikha Singh and Leena Jumani in supporting roles. It is produced by Ekta Kapoor under the banner Balaji Telefilms.
Kumkum Bhagya currently airs on Adom TV, Monday to Friday from 7:30pm to 9:30pm on the station which received the 2017 Brand Excellence Award as The Most Preferred TV Station Brand 2016.