IS IT THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF KAPIL SHARMA SHOW by S. PRABHAKAR

The Kapil Sharma Comedy Show took a serious and ugly turn with the spat between Kapil and Sunil Grover on flight in public view. Sunil Grover has promptly announced that he will no more work with Kapil and to make matters worse Kapil’s good and childhood friend Chandan also took similar step.    As can be expected it is all over the news and majority are backing Sunil Grover.    Sunil Grover has handled the situation very cleverly and maturely and coming out very clean and as a victim.  This unfortunate episode has considerably damaged the brand `Kapil Sharma’.    Once the hangover of the cocktail was over Kapil has realised his mistake and went public in apologizing  Sunil Grover and trying his best to get him back. 

 For a person giving stage shows in Amritsar and participating in programme in Punjabi channels with hardly any reach, the success achieved by Kapil Sharma is phenomenal and it is human and natural to allow success to go to the head  to some extent, but at this juncture trying to shake off Sunil Grover is like ` `apne pair pe khuladhi maar na’.

Staleness has set in Kapil’s acts.

The biggest mistake Kapil and the channel have collectively done is dragging the show unendingly resulting in overkill.    No doubt everyone wants to make hey while the Sun is shining but they should have done some research to realise that boredom has set in long back and it is time to give a break and make a comeback after creating curiosity value.    The programme is depending too heavily on Sunil Grover, who by his sheer versatility of doing many roles in a single episode and with his perfect and flawless mimicry (specially the roles of  Dr Mashoor Gulati & Rinki Bhabhi)  able to carry entire programme on his shoulders.    His popularity and demand for his spontaneous mad acts at the climax on songs (like the ones in episodes with Aishwarya and Sharukh Khan) was soaring skywards. This obviously might have caused lot of discomfort to Kapil, on whose name the programme is running.   

When Kapil started his career as a stand up comedian in Great India Laughter Challenge on Star plus, he became very popular as the Inspector Shemsher Singh.   After winning one edition, he moved to Sony Comedy Circus and appeared in all editions and turned out to be the most successful comedian  amongst other contestants like Krushna, Sudesh, Bharti and VIP etc.  

 But as a comedian he did a tactical blunder in not relying much on his mimicry talent and donning various roles instead predominantly following single track of running down his fellow contestants specially female partners episode after episode which can only appeal masses.    This brand of comedy is popular with Pakistani comedians both in Pakistani shows as well as when they were allowed to participate in comedian shows in India.   They go berserk in insulting all and sundry and even go to the ridiculous extent of insulting Mother and Father at drop of hat in such cheap manner by saying that the `entire mohallah is after your Mother’.    Sadly Kapil picked up that trait and scripts were written around the theme of his running down fellow contestants and his female partners and understably most of his female partners like Sweta Tiwari  got upset and opted out and Kapil kept on changing his female paratners.   He ultimately zeroed on Sumona Chakravorthy, who preferred to be a dumbo and continued to be at the receiving end of  but of his jokes till date.

If i were to give one piece of advise to Kapil, it would have been that in comedy those comedians will be popular and long enduring who project their innocence, cut jokes on themselves and does idiotic acts rather than those who try to dominate and insult others.    Charlie Chaplin and  Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean have mastered this trait and became house hold names and immortals.   Sunil Grover’s Mashoor Gulati role is in the same mould and Rinku Bhabhi is just adorable.   While moving from Colours to Sony, Kapil carefully avoided all the popular and screen stealers like Bharti, Krushna, Sudhesh and VIP and picked lesser known mortals like Ali Asgar, Chandan who were his co-participants in other shows.    Kiku and Sunil Grover were not very popular in those days and did not enjoy star status.   While roping in them Kapil might not have thought that one day he will be overshadowed by them, as has happened specially by Sunil Grover.    When the Kapil show was with Colours Sunil Grover stormed as Guthi and gained tremendous popularity besides Asgar Ali and Upasana Singh.    On moving to Sony he had to re-create new roles for all. Ali Asgar lost his charm and popularity as Dadi, but Sunil not only slipped into Rinku Bhabhi effortlessly but also added new dimension by Dr. Mashoor Gulati character.    

Around the same time Kapil lost the plot as a comedian, and merely reduced to playing introductory role and interviewing celebrities in a very repetitive and stale manner.    He has become so predictable by asking same type of questions like what celebrities do in their bathrooms, how did they enjoy kissing scenes, did you ever thought that one day you will come to Kapil show, pouncing upon heroines to hug in a distatesful manner and openly flirting with them, (despite being snubbed many times by Aishwarya, Raveena and Sonakshi), repeatedly mentioning about his solitary feature film under production and his paying huge amount of income tax.  He becomes so out of control while dealing with females that once Saina Mirza has to pull him by saying come on she is my Mother atleast leave her, which is so embarassing, but he kept on repeating that unchartible act with the Mother of Arman Malik and few others.    A time has come when episode after episode, apart from Sunil Gover and Kiku, it is the guests who used to make the programme more funny and interesting than Kapil.    If one considers the programme on Crys Gale, Bravo, Sabri brothers, Jackey Chan, Sidhu Family, Govinda and Rishi & Neetu kapoor, Sunil Grover and the guests completely dominated and proceedings.    The moment Sunil Grover makes entry as Dr. Mashoor Gulati and/or as Rinku bhabhi the programmes lightens up and focus completely shifts and tempo of the programme picks up and Kapil get almost sidelined, which must be difficult to digest for the comedian in him, though it was benefitting him, the channel and the show.    

 He salvaged the situation considerably by introducing the character of Arora, in which role he showed glimpses of his past best.    Overall Sunil Grover and his popularity has become a sore thumb for Kapil and what happened in the flight was bound to happen.

To have a reality check Kapil should play and see the episode featuring the most popular martial artist in the world  Jackie chan, who has great flair for comedy too.  The much awaited programme fell flat miserably despite best efforts of Chan in the absence of Sunil grover .    Things were no better in the last two episodes after the exit of Sunil Grover.   Kapil brought in few comedians like Raju Srivastava, Sunil Pal and few more comedians.  They may be good for a change but in this format they may not fit in and may not be able to fill the void created by Sunil Grover's absence.

The predicament of Sunil Grover :

Sunil Grover knows that he shoulders a huge responsibility in making the programme success as Guthi in earlier Avatar and more so now as Mashoor Gulati and Rinku Bhabhi.  This might tempt him to try his luck outside Kapil Sharma show.     His first attempt to do so was a disaster and his show has not taken off at all and he had to make a hasty retreat back to Kapil show.    This ugly incident has come as a blessing in disguise for him to demonstrate how important, if not indispensable, he is for the Kapil Sharma Comedy show to maintain its premier position.    Though he can surely encash this situation by getting his pay cheque fatter, he has no other option but to come back, may be on a stronger footing and better terms.    

He is like Vinod khanna of 1970s, who was so good in doing his bit excellently in multi starrers but miserably failed to deliver any significant solo hits.    Right from Mera Gao Mera Desh (with Dharmender), to some 6 to 7 super hits with Amitabh in late 70s, including Hera Pheri, Amar Akbar Anthony, Khoon Pasina and Muquddar ka Sikandar, he shone only in support roles.    The same was the case with Shashi Kapoor too and sooner these two actors realised it and were happy doing their part well in multi starrer and be in business.    Sunil Grover too may not be able to do anything noteworthy on his own if what happened earlier is any indication, unless any other channel puts him together with Krushna and the adorable Sudesh and extremely talented Bharti and VIP (taking care not to repeat the disastrous mistake of repeating Comedy nights bachov) and pose a big threat to The kapil Sharma comedy show.  

Way forward

Though Kapil and Sony channel may like to continue with the show and reap as much as they can, it would be advisable to take a break for some time and regroup with new set of comedians rather than experimenting with different comedians every week.   Few episodes back they brought in Dr. Sankalp Bhonsle who did a great act of Sanjay Dutt.    They also brought in very young and extremely talented Siddhartha in few episodes but did not give him good author backed character.    After some time if we get Kapil Sharma comedy show in a new avatar and some other comedy show by Sunil Grover and team, it will be double dhamaka for audience.   

As of now it is advantage SUNIL GROVER.    

S. Prabhakar

31.3.2017