Kapil Sharma is once again in the news, but not for anything remotely funny. The ace comedian stirred a controversy recently, when he failed to turn up for the shoot of The Kapil Sharma Show, on a day when Ajay Devgn and his Baadshaho co-actors were the celebrity guests. What followed was a statement by the channel, clarifying that the show is going on a break on account of Kapil's health woes, but will return once he recovers. While rumours are flying thick and fast about the show's ultimate fate and Bollywood bigwigs being upset with him, BT got in touch with the man who's busy courting controversies, and the reclusive comedian opened up like never before.

Kapil asserts, “My show isn't ending. I am taking a break for a few episodes, that's all. I don't want to cancel any shoots further owing to my health issues and so, I have decided to take a breather. It won't be fair on my part to schedule another episode with a new set of celebrities after cancelling the previous one. I am suffering from anxiety and weakness, and I'm thankful to the channel for understanding my condition. I have been shooting back-to-back for the show and my film Firangi, and the erratic schedule didn't leave me with any time to focus on my health and diet. Doctors have told me that I am an extremist and a workaholic. I have been feeling weak, and Vitamin B12 deficiency has led to fatigue. I started feeling dull and would tire easily. Working on TV can be quite stressful.“

Remind him about how he had smoothly balanced his previous show (Comedy Nights With Kapil) and the shoot of his Hindi film (Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon) simultaneously, and he replies, “My previous show aired once a week and the shoot of the film was done mostly in Mumbai. However, I had to travel to Rajasthan and Chandigarh for my upcoming project. Also, a lot of issues have happened in the recent past.“

Is he hinting at his fallout with Sunil Grover? The two reportedly had a massive mid-air showdown while returning to India from Melbourne in March. “I don't want to revisit that incident; at least not at this moment. Or else, people will start wondering why I am talking about it now. Sunil is like my brother and I am still in touch with him. In fact, I just spoke to him and he is down with fever,“ he replies.

So, can fans expect their reunion on screen anytime soon? “As far as I am concerned, he can return anytime. However, Sunil is currently busy with live shows and wants to try out new things,“ he replies.

Soon after the mid-air fight, when Kapil announced his marriage to Ginni Chatrath, many had opined that it was just a tactic to divert attention from the altercation. Kapil reasons, “How could that be? Didn't the other news come out in the media, eventually? The announcement was correct. I plan to marry her, but not immediately.“

Talking about the possibility of reunions, is he missing his other former associates, including Ali Asgar and Sugandha Mishra? “They are all my people, and there are no hard feelings. Of course, I miss them and I am in touch with them. Ali left the show as he wasn't too happy with the way his character was shaping up.
However, I saw him dressed as a woman in an episode of his new show and joked with him, 'Ali bhai, ladki hi banna tha toh mere show mein kya burai thi?'“

What about the rumours that he has upset a lot of Bollywood bigwigs by calling off shoots with them on many occasions? Kapil refutes, saying, “After Shah Rukh Khan left without shooting, he met me in his car for almost an hour the following day and advised me to take care of my health. Ajay (Devgn) sir can't be upset with me either, we share birthdays. I haven't been able to speak with him as he is busy traveling, but there is no bad blood. Even Anil Kapoor returned to shoot with us on a later date. When Arjun Rampal came to our set, I chose to stay put despite feeling sick. In fact, he decided to call it a day after seeing my deteriorating condition. These stars make my show. How can I make them wait? I can't be above them or the show. If I had not taken this break and cancelled one more shoot, people would have believed all kinds of rumours.“

Kapil also says that his show will retain its original time slot, “I'm not aware of a time change. Even if there is any, I'm sure it's only till the time they're airing the rerun. Once we are back with original content, we will regain our slot.“

Well, there have also been reports of alcohol and attitude problems. “I don't know how to react to these rumours. People can say whatever they want to. I come from a simple background and can't manipulate things. I'm amazed how people only pick on negative stories and never write about good things,“ he sums up.