Everyone has had a taste of Kapil Sharma’s comic streak on television, but he’s now set to unleash himself on the silver screen with his debut venture, Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon.
Known for his spontaneous comic act, the actor says he developed it while doing 350 episodes of Comedy Circus. “I have done serious theatre earlier, but then I stuck to comedy on regional channels as I enjoyed it more. I realised my strengths when I became part of shows like Comedy Circus. People would make fun of me, but I silently observed them and kept these things in mind which I started using during my shows.”
About his debut film, Kapil says it happened by chance. “One of my uncles has written the story and when he narrated it to me, I loved it. We then met Abbas-Mustan, who loved it too and decided to do the film. It’s about a naive man who falls in love with three women and gets married to them,” he says.
In real life too, the actor says he’s been searching for love. “My situation is somewhat like my character in the film. I like every girl I meet,” he laughs.
Kapil says though he has turned an actor, his first love will always be Comedy Nights With Kapil. “I have a team where everyone is creatively involved. We don’t jot down our comic lines. We sit in a room and banter, where ideas are created out of the blue. Whatever comes out of the chat is used on the show. We are always in a comic mood. We keep pulling each other’s leg, literally,” says Kapil.
Debuting in Bollywood, the actor says he is trying to cope with glamour too. “I was never a gym person, but now I go there regularly.” Asked whether he plans to join the six-pack brigade, Kapil says, “I am not into body toning or muscling up. But if the role requires me to have six packs, I’ll definitely work on it.”
The actor adds he’s giving more importance to personal grooming as well. “Earlier I walked in my shorts and T-shirts, but now people recognise me when I walk down the streets and ask for a selfie. So I try and make sure that I am well dressed. These days my mother keeps asking me why I buy so many clothes; she thinks it’s a sheer waste of money. I have to explain it to her that I can’t wear the same suit every day to my show.”
Apart from comedy, Kapil has a penchant for singing as well. “I have got my own band as I love singing and try to flaunt my vocal talent during my shows,” he says, adding that he has sung a song in his debut film as well.
So far Kapil has been successful in getting almost all of Bollywood on Comedy Nights. Even the enigmatic diva Rekha sang on his show. The coemdian actor says he now wants to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the show. “I hope I am successful, but I definitely plan to extend my invitation the next time I meet him,” he says.
The other personalities he would like to invite are Lata Mangeshkar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. Kapil says he has already approached Mangeshkar and Tendulkar “but they keep stalling me. ‘What will we do on your show’, they ask. We can neither dance nor entertain. I really love them and want them on the show, even if it’s only for 10 minutes. I have also spoken to Shruti Haasan about her father Kamal Haasan, who told me he loves Comedy Nights.”
“Recently when the show’s sets caught fire, Lataji offered me money as she didn’t know that the producers were bearing the cost. She also gifted a watch on my birthday, which I don’t wear, fearing it will get scratches. When I went to Canada, the country’s defence minister Jason Kenney was a guest on our show. Chief Minister of Vancouver, Christy Clark, had come in Indian attire with her children. If they can come, why not our Prime Minister?” he says.
One thing Kapil dislikes is below-the-belt comedy. “I somehow can’t stand it. It doesn’t go down well with my taste,” he says. The actor has been known for making fun of others on his show, but says he has always been the butt of jokes everywhere. “People always make fun of me, but I take it in my stride. I know that they love me. Especially when I am out in the crowds, people are very casual and keep cracking jokes about me. They do it because they consider me as one of them. Keeping all this in my mind, I have seen to it that my character in the film too is not overtly glamorous. I have a certain style and language, and people appreciate me because of it. If I try to act like Shah Rukh, people won’t like it. I will have to be as normal as I appear on my shows,” he says.
Talking about Comedy Nights, Kapil says, “We plan our gigs and I make fun of myself. I try to make spoofs or gags out of someone’s comment. But there has been nothing vulgar. I am sure people come to my show because they enjoy it. After the success of our initial 26 episodes, we increased it to 200 and we will go on till people appreciate it. The day I feel creativity is dead, I will stop the show.”