The year 2017 started on a bumpy note for comedy kingpin Kapil Sharma. Reports of him cancelling appearances of smaller films on his show and standing up guests began to make headlines routinely and Kapil became synonymous with an overly self-absorbed Indian stand-up comedian. Last month, his much-publicised in-flight altercation with co-star Sunil Grover was the final nail in the coffin that is the comedian's popularity.

Kapil allegedly threw a shoe at Sunil, repeatedly slapped him and hurled abuses at other team members while they were on a Melbourne-Delhi-Mumbai flight in business class on March 16. Reports claim he was drunk and angry that his team had started eating without him. And while he tried to call an online truce with Sunil later, the latter has refused to return to the show even if “his fee is doubled“. Ali Asgar, Chandan Prabhakar and Sugandha Mishra also staged a walkout in solidarity. According to recent online reports, the last episode was a flop show with Kapil, Kiku Sharda, Sumona Chakravarti and guests comedians, Raju Shrivastava, Ehsaan Qureshi and Sunil Pal's jokes falling flat. But Mirror has learnt that the Sunday shoot was literally a cakewalk for Kapil's guests, Parineeti Chopra and Ayushmann Khurrana, as the comedian host arrived on the dot and the show proceeded without glitches, with the actors cutting a cake to bring in Kapil's 35th birthday during the course of the shoot.

“Kapil even obliged the crew and Parineeti's make-up artist with smiling selfies. He also tried to sing 'Maana Ke Hum', Parineeti's recently launched single, and was goofing around with the duo even after pack-up, with them smearing cake on his face,“ informs a source from the sets, saying Kapil has no choice but to put up a good show.

Contrary to reports, the channel will not be terminating his contract which still has a few months to go before it ends but has given him a warning and put him on a grace period during which he will have to adhere to timings, be at his best behaviour and maintain decorum and dignity on and off the sets for the contract to be renewed. He's been told that no show can be cancelled at the last minute and the focus will have to be on pulling up the TRPs.

That he is determined to make amends was evident even on Friday when he was filming with Raveena Tandon. The actress described the shoot as “crazy fun“. Both these episodes will air only towards the end of the month and Kapil is expected to continue shooting till May-June after which the channel is expected to take a decision on whether they want to continue with him for another season.
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Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; April 3, 2017)

Notwithstanding crashing TRPs of The Kapil Sharma Show as Sunil Grover and a few other popular acts continue to keep away from the sets, the channel seems to have shown faith in Kapil to turn things around.

Says a source, “The skit-cum-chat show’s contract with Sony Entertainment Television expires in less than two weeks, but in a rather generous gesture, the channel has decided to offer a month’s extension.”

Kapil has been trying to manage without his main acts Sunil, Ali Asgar, Chandan Prakhabar, Sugandha and creative head Preeti Simoes, but has not been able to impress the audience. Comedian Raju Shrivastav has joined the team with Sumona Chakrabarti and Rochelle Rao. Some of the guests who recently attended the show include Raveena Tandon and the Meri Pyaari Bindu lead pair — Parineeti Chopra and Ayushmann Khurana.

Kapil turned 36 yesterday and celebrated his birthday with Parineeti and Ayushmann. In a video of their conversation shared by the actor indicates that none of Kapil’s former colleagues bothered to wish him on his big day.

Meanwhile, as reported by mid-day yesterday, Sunil tickled the funny bones of the audience in his popular avatar from the comedy show — as Dr Mashoor Gulati — for the Indian Idol finale.