"Whatever happened was unfortunate,“ says Kiku Sharda, who is out on bail after being arrested and flown to Kaithal (Haryana) for mimicking Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh at a New Year event. He was booked on charges of hurting religious sentiments by Singh's followers. Recalling the ordeal, the actor says, “It hasn't been easy for me. I was in another state where I had no family or acquaintances. I was put behind bars for a few hours. There were angry supporters waiting for me outside the court when I went to get anticipatory bail. There was an uproar when I reached there and it was scary. The cops shielded me as I walked in and out of the court. Singh's supporters came charging towards me, but the cops escorted me towards my vehicle and helped me leave the spot.“

He adds, “What happened to me was harsh and unexpected. I underwent this ordeal because I mimicked him. I hope that others booked won't have to go through the same trauma. I appeal to people to look at such gags from our (the artiste's) perspective.“

While the comedian takes onus for the ugly incident, he feels that the creative team and the channel should also have acted responsibly. He says, “I do what I am told to by the channel and the creative team. I was expecting some support from the channel but that didn't happen. It is unfortunate that I wasn't aware of this particular sect. I am sorry for hurting their religious sentiments, but it wasn't intentional. My only intention is to entertain people.“

He adds, “After this episode, I would say that yes, we shouldn't have done something that would offend a particular sect.I have a career spanning 13 years; I am not here to hurt anyone. All of that should be taken into consideration.“

How will the ugly episode impact comedy and comedians? “There are all kinds of humour and I have largely indulged in clean comedy. I won't attempt something that could be potentially offensive. 80% of comedy can happen without hurting anyone's sentiments. Only a few people can't take it in the right spirit,“ he replies.

In the wake of this incident, does Kiku feel that the country lacks a sense of humour? “It would be harsh to slot the whole country as humourless. Comedy comes with a bit of sarcasm, wit and edginess. The other party reacts angrily only when they don't have a befitting reply to it. These gags can be attempted only in comedy shows and not in a saas-bahu drama. We are targetted when humour is not taken in the right spirit, but that's a part and parcel of this profession,“ he replies.

However, the comedian maintains that he will continue to do mimicry as it's a part of his job. He elaborates, “Mimicry is the greatest form of flattery. It will be too drastic a step to refrain from it. Let's be comfortable about it and indulge in it for entertainment. I am not the only one who has been through this unfortunate incident. A lot of people have been subjected to it because of their gags in the past. But we should continue doing our work to the best of our ability.“