Welcome to Top Jock Enterprises
Top Jock Enterprises (Pty) Ltd is our entertainment company that specializes in artist management; concert production and event management. The company’s name was inspired by Vikash Mathura’s 23 year career on radio and television, during which he was consistently ranked as the country’s top radio DJ on Lotus FM.
TJE contracts with an extensive database of service providers who specialize in sound; lighting; video production; photography; stage management; artist and venue security; media and public relations; transportation; hospitality; merchandising (etc).
The company manages the public appearances and entertainment schedules of Vikash Mathura and Ray Maharaj, and also manages the country’s largest comedy trademark, PERU & BALA . The Peru & Bala national concert tours have broken all attendance records since 1997. Mathura and Maharaj have appeared in more than 550 events, and have performed to more than 3.5 million fans!
Artist Management: Vikash Mathura & JJ Mathura and Ray Maharaj
The announcement of the retirement from radio of Vikash Mathura and Ray Maharaj was undoubtedly the biggest entertainment news in the South African Indian community in 2014! The duo created various fictitious radio characters, and then dared to take them onto stage in 1997! These characters became household names (Harry Mama; Uncles Peru & Bala; The Raj; Madiba; Professor Pyarelal; Dollia Mosie; Nine Boy; Aunty Sours; Aunty Saras; Aunty Pathma; Om Prakash; Munna Bhai, and Phookna Mosa). Mathura provided the voices for every character…with the exception of Uncle Peru, who was voiced by Maharaj. Vikash and Ray hosted the Saturday breakfast show “The Weekend Lift Off” on Lotus FM from 1997 until 2014. During these 17 years, the show consistently boasted the highest listenership, with audiences tuning in from 40 countries to listen to their cutting edge humour and social critique. JJ Mathura is regarded as the Queen of the South African Indian Entertainment industry. She has been entertaining her fans for almost 30 years. 2019 was another milestone year in her career. She conquered the theatrical scene by being cast in the Lead Role in the super-hit comedy “In Therapy”.
Peru & Bala: Biography (since 1997 )
• More than 850 weekly episodes of the Week End Lift Off was broadcast on Lotus FM
• Uncles Peru & Bala featured in more than 800 of these episodes
• Two best-selling CD’s were produced in 2005 and 2007
• A best-selling book was published in 2006
• A cartoon strip featuring Peru & Bala was published for 7 years by POST newspaper
• Cartoons of Peru & Bala were distributed virally around the world
• Two songs about Peru & Bala were produced by South African & Mauritian musicians
• A race-horse was named “Nice Like That”…a line made famous by Peru & Bala
• Stage performances in more than 550 concerts
• Stage performances to more than 3.5 million fans in 17 years
• The record for the largest audience achieved at a live concert = 42 000 people in 2003
• The Number One radio show on Lotus FM for an unprecedented 17 consecutive years
• The Week End Lift Off boasted listeners from 40 countries
• More than 70 000 You Tube views of their posted videos
• More than 30 000 Facebook followers on their various pages
• A sold-out National Tour was hosted in 2013 (29 shows in 5 provinces)
• A sold-out Farewell Tour was hosted in 2014 when they retired from radio
• Two best-selling DVD’s were released in 2013 and 2014
• Vikash Mathura has been the highest profiled DJ on Lotus FM for 22 consecutive years
Peru & Bala: The Alter-Egos
Our Merchandise
We have released best-selling CD’s; DVD’s; a book and cartoon strips that have become collector’s items for our fans globally
Peru & Bala National Tour – 2013
The Peru & Bala National Tour in 2013 featured 29 concerts in 5 provinces. 26 of the shows were sold out, and it became the most successful South African Indian comedy tour of all time, having attracted in excess of 45 000 fans! The show featured Vikash Mathura; Ray Maharaj; Karou Charou; Harry Mama; Professor Pyarelal and Uncles Peru & Bala.
Radio Farewell Tour – 2014
After a record-breaking national tour in 2013, Vikash Mathura & Ray Maharaj shocked their global fans when they announced that they were retiring from radio. What followed was another record-breaking and emotional Peru & Bala Farewell Tour. The duo shared behind-the-scenes information about how they created many of their alter-ego characters at all of the sold-out performances. At their Grand Finale in November at the Lyric Theatre, the duo were treated to a 5 minute standing ovation…
Harry & The Uncles – 2015
After a hiatus of 9 months, Vikash and Ray returned to the theatres with their latest comedy offering, Harry & The Uncles. This 90-minute side splitting show travels between Gauteng and Kwazulu Natal for 9 performances only, and is being received with critical acclaim. The popular Harry Mama shares his prison experiences whilst Uncles Peru & Bala dwell on their retirement years. For the first time, the show has a segment of their popular radio feature “Not the 8.15 News”. The James Bond auditions is another segment that has had their fans in stitches.
Harry & The Gupta – 2018
In 2018, Top Jock Enterprises and Dingo Dawg, two BBBEE Level 1 companies, collaborated to bring the hit comedy show “Harry & the Gupta” to theatre lovers. The show saw the coming together of Vikash Mathura and Jack Devnarain, two legends of the entertainment industry. The tour featured 20 shows in 5 provinces.
Vikash Mathura reprised his role as “Harry”, the brash Durban-based entrepreneur who has become a favorite amongst many theatre patrons. Jack Devnarain played the suave and infamous businessman “Rajesh Gupta”, the elusive and media-shy youngest brother of a notorious family! “Harry & the Gupta” ws set in the mythical “Saxonwold Shebeen”, where the story began with Harry (Durban’s ‘Con of Cons’) meeting Rajesh (Joburg’s ‘Don of Dons’) for the first time. Their chance encounter resulted in a series of comic misunderstandings that inevitably created an unlikely bond between the two shady characters.
Vikash Mathura and Jack Devnarain are widely considered to be two giants of the South African entertainment industry. Combined, their portfolio of work has spanned radio; television; stage, and the big screen, with each of them amassing an enviable fan base. Despite being friends for almost 30 years, and sharing a mutual admiration for each other’s work, they had never had the opportunity to collaborate on a project.
Jack Devnarain is a renowned television and film actor who has been entertaining South African audiences for the past 25 years. During this time, Vikash Mathura has been celebrated as one of the highest profiled radio and theatre personalities in the country. Whilst Devnarain was serenading his fans with his daily appearances on popular television soapies, Mathura was selling-out at every major concert venue around the country with the record-breaking “Peru & Bala” comedy tours. Their fans were thrilled that these two legends of the industry were going to be seen together, for the first time on stage, in the hysterical comedy tour, “Harry & the Gupta”!
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In Therapy – 2019
Top Jock Enterprises has produced the country’s most successful theatrical comedy shows that are aimed primarily at the South African Indian community. Having hosted tours such as “Peru & Bala™ National Tour” (2013); “Peru & Bala™ Farewell Tour” (2014); “Harry & the Uncles” (2015), and “Harry & the Gupta” (2018), TJE now presents its latest production, “IN THERAPY”. This show features one of the country’s highest profiled entertainers, Vikash Mathura, who is accompanied on stage by the celebrated media personality and entertainer, JJ Mathura!
This production sees the return of various popular theatrical characters such as Uncle Bala; Harry Mama; Dollia Mausie and Professor Pyarelal. All of these endearing characters have become household names in South Africa, after being created for popular radio shows since 1994. The versatile Vikash Mathura, who plays all of the aforementioned characters, is joined on stage for the first time ever, by his wife, and fellow celebrated media personality, JJ Mathura.
“In Therapy” is a laugh-a-minute comedy that is set in JJ’s lounge. It’s a typical day in her life…during which she is visited by many of her husband’s “friends” who want to discuss their deepest thoughts; challenges, and secrets. Her first guest is “Professor Pyarelal”, an academic poser who believes that he is understands all challenges faced by women! He is followed by “Dollia Mausie”, an eccentric over-the-top dresser, who believes that every man is out to woo her! The third guest is “Harry Mama”, the brash Durban-based entrepreneur who will do anything to earn a quick buck! “Uncle Bala”, one of the country’s record-breaking theatre characters, also visits JJ to share his own trials and tribulations. Finally, Vikash arrives home and is confronted by JJ about various issues that husbands and wives typically discuss, albeit only behind closed doors!
Vikash Mathura and JJ Mathura are widely considered to be one of the darling couples of the entertainment industry, and two larger-than-life personalities in South Africa. Combined, their portfolio of work has spanned radio; television, and stage. Each of them has amassed an enviable fan base. Despite being married for almost 27 years, and sharing a mutual admiration for each other’s work, they have never had the opportunity to collaborate on stage…until now!
