The evolution of Kapil Sharma: The more India’s most popular comedian changes, the more he remains the same

Evolution of Kapil Sharma

Evolution of Kapil Sharma (Photo: Kapil Sharma / Instagram)

He is the Everyman and the funnyman; among India’s top celebs and its most relatable faces. The man India patiently waits for to deliver its weekly nightly laughs; the comedian who goes shopping for a glitzier platform — and bigger cheques — every few years and then asks the country’s biggest stars inherently middle-class questions — whether he still squeezes out the last of toothpaste before throwing the tube away. Laughs guaranteed.

Kapil Sharma has a new address this time: Netflix. The Great Indian Kapil Show targets a global audience as it will stream in 190 countries from 30th March. While this is another small victory for Sharma, his career trajectory has been filled with triumphs like these, but it has had its share of pitfalls. And what monumental, dramatic pitfalls they have been. Kapil, however, has taken in his stride on the back of a loyal audience who refuses to abandon him across platforms and controversies. The man in front of them may be charging a few crores per episode but they see them as their own — an underdog, an Everyman who collects all the leftover spuds in the soap dish to take his bath.

Ever since the lad from Amritsar took the stage of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge 3 in 2007, he has not looked back. He won that season of the show, and followed it up with victories in six seasons of Comedy Circus. Kapil who originally came to Mumbai to become a singer, had the attention of the masses with his comedy timings and quick wit. he went on to do a few other reality shows, but the game-changer was in 2013 when he started Comedy Nights With Kapil. With his name on the marquee, he was not another comic, he was ‘the’ comic.

The success of the show was followed up by his Bollywood acting debut in 2015 with the movie Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon. In 2016, Kapil started a new show with a similar concept on Sony TV called The Kapil Sharma Show. However, the Kapil Sharma story was already showing signs of lacking its luster. Alcohol addiction, professional indiscipline and fights among cast members suddenly brought the success to a halt.

Also Read | ‘There is no negativity on Kapil Sharma’s set’, says Archana Puran Singh ahead of The Great Indian Kapil Show

His second film Firangi didn’t do well, and the rumours of a physical fight onboard a flight with Sunil Grover, Chandan Prabhakar and Ali Asgar was all over the headlines. The comedian and actor reportedly slipped into alcohol addiction, and The Kapil Sharma Show was taken off-air since the host was not able to fulfill his contractual commitments.

His loyal audience was not ready to give up on him yet and the show was again renewed in 2018, with new members like Krushna Abhishek and Bharti Singh joining the show. The turbulence, however, continued on the professional front. Eventually in 2022, Kapil briefly moved to North America. By then a biopic on his life called Funkaar was also announced, but later it saw no development. Despite professional highs and lows, Kapil did bounce back to business and went on to star in Nandita Das’ Zwigato, where his performance was praised.

Now here was a man trying to prove that he is capable of more than just cracking jokes and making people laugh. Singing, dancing, acting, he tried it all but his popularity was also a curse. His audience wanted him only as Kapil — not the actor, not the singer and not even as a stand-up comic with a Netflix special — but as the relatable Kappu with his merry team of men and women who performed skits and played on similar themes and jokes.

In 2023, Kapil moved to Netflix, and the show also announced the patch-up between Sunil and Kapil. The new show is just hours away that promises the audiences the same Kapil Sharma in a new packaging.

Today, Kapil stands at a place where he has to be careful of the steps he takes and the decisions he makes. Is the Netflix show one such step in the right direction? That is something we will only know on Saturday, but what makes us wonder is if Kapil has finally understood the drill of this industry or if this one is yet another experiment.

Recently, at the press conference of the Netflix show, Archana Puran Singh also spoke about how Kapil has changed in these years, she said, “Thankfully he has not changed a bit. The level at which he did comedy before has only amped up, else there is no change. The roots that Kapil comes from he has brought them to this platform too. He belongs to a small city, but he has a big heart. As far as I know Kapil, he has not changed at all. The small-town element he brought to the masses, has appealed to the country.”

When we asked Krushna Abhishek about how Kapil has evolved over the years, he said, “Kapil is a man of many words, his comic timing, and punches, all have been something to learn from.”

Navin Prabhakar praises Kapil Sharma

Navin Prabhakar praises Kapil Sharma (Photo: Navin Prabhakar)

Navin Prabhakar further added, “Coming from outside and settling in Mumbai and grow with your friends is not an ordinary thing. I have seen from the start, that the hard work Kapil has put on himself is something I cannot sum up in words. He has gotten frustrated at times, he has had to hear a lot from the audience, and the media, but he kept at it. He has been so confident about his work that he doesn’t need anything else.”

Navin also shared that he respects, Kapil a lot and said, “Kapil Sharma charges a few crores today for a show, but he has gotten the field of comedy the glamour and pride it deserved. Forbes listed him as one of the best 100 celebs. No wonder hard work pays off.”

As Navin rightly said, Kapil has been someone who has grown up with his team. But Bharti Singh says that Kapil has been more like a teacher to her. Sharing how happy she feels to see where he is today, Bharti shares, “I am very happy to see my brother become a brand today. He has been like a teacher to me, Sudesh Lahiri, Kapil Sharma, and Rajiv Thakur were my seniors, and I learned a lot from them. Today even though Kapil Bhai is a stand-up comedian he has become a huge brand. I have seen his hard work from the beginning till now. What that taught me is that your efforts never go to waste.”

Bharti further adds, “I feel nice that his show on Netflix is going on air from 30th March, the promo is mind-blowing. A lot of people are asking me why am I not in the show. Soon I will also be seen on the show if possible, but for now I have another commitment and project. I wish Kapil Bhai and his entire team all the very best. I pray all those who came from Punjab should become a brand like Kapil. Comedy only has one king and that’s him.”

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