If you consider the hype that the comedian gets and the popularity of his show Comedy Nights with Kapil, he is the god of the giggle. But is he the best? Tell us…
Kapil Sharma has made it big. He has his own show on TV – Comedy Nights with Kapil – is being seen as host on popular shows – Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6, for instance – and has started becoming visible at awards shows. And he has the support of so many powerful people in the entertainment world. Remember how when his sets caught fire a few months ago biggies like Lata Mangeshkar and Shahrukh Khan offered their help? And he has had the biggest stars from the biggest films making promotional appearances on his TV show, which makes its clout very clear, hai na? He even featured at number 93 on the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list. And to boost his ratings, he even has a legal matter to deal with now – two women’s groups, the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan and Kaydeshir Wagne have filed a complaint with the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission seeking legal action against Kapil, objecting to his derogatory remarks about women in a recent episode of his show. Ironically, Rajya Sabha member actor Hema Malini was on the show during the time. The spokesperson of the Commission said that “We plan to send a notice to the channel within the next couple of days and will probably call for a hearing next week.”
That apart, we cannot help wondering if all the hype that Mr Sharma gets is really justified. Is he really the funniest person on the tube? We agree, he is perhaps the most popular, but most of his jokes are about fat people, pregnant women, awkward moments that members of his audience face, bald men and the like. They are often repeated, with perhaps a name or two and the situation juggled to fit the situation, and his laugh track is one the loudest and most natural we have heard. But in a funny little world that has the likes of Raju Srivastava, Bharti Singh, Sudesh Lahiri, Krushna Abhishek, Sunil Grover, Kiku Sharda and Sunil Pal, to name just a few, does Kapil really stand out? Right now he rules, we know. But can he keep his place on top of the ladder, where he is now? We have to wonder….