Comic relief in troubled times

In one of the episodes of Kapil Sharma’s show, a visibly amused Anupam Kher asked Kapil Sharma, “How do you manage to come up with such rib-tickling one-liners at the drop of a hat?” The effervescent and ever-smiling Kapil came up with a quick-witted response. It left the audience in splits. He said, “I am from Punjab where people barely have anything constructive to do. They just keep talking silly things. I was also one of them. Somebody suggested I go to Bombay as I would make money selling those wacky and funny ideas.’’ This is vintage Kapil Sharma, the current baadshah of comedy who for the last 10 years, has become a household name in India.

The ‘Great Indian Kapil Sharma Show’ now streams in 192 countries on Netflix. A born comedian, Kapil hails from an ordinary middle-class family in Punjab’s Amritsar. His show guarantees laughs. In his shows, bodacious by all accounts, he regales and entertains us by asking his celebrity guests to narrate their funny experiences and embarrassments in life. Be it actors Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, singer Mika or cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur, Kapil has a funny question for everyone. In fact, he has an uncanny knack of bringing the best out of celebrities on his shows. And when Kapil flirts with Bollywood heroines, peppered with innocuous remarks, provides a good belly laugh.

Kapil loves to indulge in self-deprecating humour by making fun of his own tooti footi (Pidgin) English. He is like one of us and comes across as a simple guy sans any ego and pretenses.

Kapil’s fans hail from the US, the UK, and other European countries, eager to be part of his reality show’s audience. This diverse crowd includes people from all walks of life, coming together to share laughter regardless of their social backgrounds. He has made us realise that life is worth living, no matter how tough and disconcerting it might get. His show has impressed upon us the need to laugh at ourselves and at life’s idiosyncrasies.

Using the well-worn adage, laughter is the best medicine, especially in these uncertain times. It has a therapeutic underpinning, particularly after the devastating pandemic tinted our laughter with shades of blue. Who better than our own Kapil to remind us that, in the words of Charlie Chaplin, “a day without laughter is a day wasted.”

Making it big in the dog-eat-dog world of stand-up comedy was never easy for Kapil. He started off by doing small comic roles in comedy shows on TV around 2009. At that time, comedians Raju Shrivastav and Sunil Pal, despite their advancing age, were still drawing a large crowd at public functions and gatherings. However, the young and good-looking Kapil was made of different stuff. His comic timing and unique dialogue delivery set him apart as someone with the potential to blaze a trail in Indian comedy. Finally, in 2013, Kapil Sharma achieved success with ‘Comedy Nights With Kapil’, writing its genetic code in an act of derring-do. There is nothing on television quite like the Kapil Sharma Show, which also features other talented comedians who jazz up the episodes with their madcap antics. Having completed 10 years, it continues to rule our hearts. Kapil now has more than 45 million followers on Instagram.

In these turbulent times, marked by increasing militarism, dog-whistle politics, and violence, we need the likes of Kapil Sharma more than ever. His comedy show serves as a soothing balm for our frayed nerves. So, when you feel weighed down by the world’s woes or anger begins to cloud your mind, switch on the Kapil Sharma Show and laugh till your sides ache. After all, laughter is the best medicine for a healthy heart.