Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 6, 2020)

Even as re-runs of The Kapil Sharma Show continued to grab eyeballs on TV, the audience is beginning to miss their weekly dose of new celebs coming for a laughter ride. Now, Mirror has learnt that Sony TV’s weekend comedy show is all set to return to the sets while complying with the state government’s SOPs.

“The team has already started prep to resume shooting by mid-July. The scripts and gags for multiple episodes have been locked and the entire team of artistes, including Kapil, Krushna Abhishek, Bharti Singh, Chandan Prabhakar and Kiku Sharda, has been rehearsing through virtual conferencing. While Archana Puran Singh will be back as the judge, the gags, like always, will be situational with the current scenario becoming an integral part of the humour,” revealed a source close to the development, adding that sanitisation of the set has already begun at Mumbai’s Film City and the celebrity management team is in talks with several actors to make an appearance.

Sonu Sood, who has been in the limelight since the lockdown started, sending thousands of migrant workers back to their home states, will be one of the first guests, as the team wants to acknowledge the wonderful work he has been doing. “Sonu loves Kapil and is keen to be on the show. Talks are also on with other A-list actors,” the source informed.

However, there will be some changes in the format of the show, which, before the pandemic, was shot with a live audience, who added to the ambience. Now, since it’s essential to maintain social distancing norms, question-and-answer rounds between the celebs and the audience on the set will not be part of the narrative. There will be no live audience. Instead, they are exploring a new segment.

The source goes on to share that the team will be working with a limited crew, who will meticulously follow the guidelines laid down, including thermal screening, social distancing, sanitisation and will also ensure a medical team on the set. “The team is all geared up to bring laughter back, but with utmost safety,” the source signs off.

The comedian-actor has roped in former colleagues Krushna Abhishek, Bharti Singh, Sumona Chakravarti, Chandan Prabhakar and Kiku Sharda, only Sunil Grover will be missing in action
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 19, 2018)

Kapil Sharma will be back on TV during the Christmas week. A source close to the development informed Mirror that the actor comedian has roped in former colleagues like Bharti Singh, Krushna Abhishek, Chandan Prabhakar, Kiku Sharda and Sumona Chakravarti for the new season of The Kapil Sharma Show which will start airing on Sony from December 23. His wedding reception in Mumbai is scheduled for the next day making it a double celebration of sorts.

The source adds that the format of this show will be somewhat similar to his earlier hit, Comedy Nights with Kapil. A new set is being built at Mumbai’s Film city studios for the shoot. “The set will have houses and a market place where the various characters will interact,” added the source.

With his actor-friend Salman Khan throwing his weight behind the project, Kapil has reason to be upbeat about his comeback venture. Salman is expected to make an appearance on the show later. Meanwhile Shah Rukh Khan has been approached to come on it as the first guest. Talks are also on with the leading ladies of his upcoming film, Zero, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, to accompany him.

In October, the channel had issued a statement confirming Kapil’s return with his successful weekend comedy show. The actor had tweeted, “Jald wapas aa raha hoon ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’ lekar aap ke liye sirf Sony TV par.” Remains to be seen if Kapil who should be happily married to Ginni Chatrath by then can keep the laughs coming without any lapses this time. It will be a big fat Punjabi wedding for the couple on December 12 and the groom-to-be seems confident that his better half will succeed in disciplining his errant lifestyle that has put him into rehab a couple of times in the recent past.

The Kapil Sharma Show had kicked off on April 23, 2016. After 130 episodes, the final episode aired on August 20, 2017. It had the actor-comedian interacting with celebrity guests on their latest films and was very popular for Kapil’s wit and the assorted skits.

Meanwhile, buzz is Salman has been trying to mediate a patch-up between his Bharat co-star Sunil Grover and Kapil after the duo had a fall-out last year, which led to Sunil storming out of The Kapil Sharma Show. However, for now, Sunil is not on board.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 22, 2018)

Kapil Sharma is all set to return to the small screen by mid-March with his new show, Family Time With Kapil Sharma which will replace Shilpa Shetty, Anurag Basu and Geeta Kapur’s kids dance show Super Dancer in the weekend slot.

Unlike The Kapil Sharma Show which went off the air abruptly in last September, this one will be a mix of comedy and games. A source close to the development says that Kapil will start off with a stand-up comedy act, followed by a segment where he will invite families to play games with him. “The winning families will get to take home household items as well as cars. Kiku Sharda who was part of the earlier show will return in a woman’s avatar. Chandan Prabhakar comes back as Kapil’s aide to host the game segment. Contrary to rumours, Ali Asgar isn’t on board yet.”

The source adds that the channel is working on an innovative strategy to announce the comedian’s comeback with a big event. Kapil had been in talks with the channel since January and after several meetings they greenlit the new show.

In an interview with Mirror (September 7, 2017), speaking about his previous show and plans of a comeback, Kapil had said, “I have a wonderful relationship with the Sony team. Another channel would have put insane pressure on me to carry on, but the Sony bosses never issued any threats. I could not afford to cancel another episode so I called them and requested that I wanted to take a break. They readily agreed. They have been really supportive. I have no plans of leaving Sony.”

In a freewheeling chat, Kapil Sharma tells mid-day how panic attacks turned him into a recluse and caused his epic fall from stardom
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; October 25, 2017)

Television funnyman Kapil Sharma turned into an object of ridicule after experiencing super-stardom. With allegations ranging from success going to his head to battling mood swings to squabbling with co-actors, he now finds himself alone and vulnerable. His undoing began in March this year, after he took the now infamous Australia tour with the cast of his hit sketch comedy television show.

Yesterday, at the launch of his film, Firangi, the actor opened up on his decline. He said it was all triggered by panic attacks that he suffered. “I could not step on the stage to perform and would cancel the shoot. I suffered from anxiety and drank myself silly. I would stay locked up in the office with my pet dog. People stopped coming on the show and I went off the radar.”

The rapid downslide of The Kapil Sharma Show left him defeated and further fed in to his anxiety, so much so that he even considered suicide. He recollected, “One of my close friends asked me to shift to his seaside apartment. He thought a change of scene would be good for me. As I saw the wide expanse of sea from his balcony, I felt like jumping into it. I was depressed; it felt like the world was gunning for me.”

To the public that adored him, the turning point came in March this year when rumours circulated over Sharma hurling a shoe at co-star Sunil Grover on a flight. “If only Sunil had asked me why I was behaving like this. We were doing the show for five years. He could have confronted me, ‘What’s wrong? I have not seen this side of you.’ I still love him. The people you love the most, end up hurting you or you end up upsetting them.”

He further shed light on the incident stating, “Since it was a long-haul flight from Mumbai, I had removed my shoes and was wearing socks to be more comfortable. So, where was the question of throwing a shoe at Sunil? What upsets me is none of them revealed the truth.”

Sharma accepted that he had had a difference of opinion with Chandan Prabhakar during the Australia tour — one that they resolved there itself. But, the media chose to give a different spin to the story. “On our arrival, news about my misbehaviour went viral and everything went out of control.”

Sharma, who had even checked into a holistic healthcare centre in Bengaluru, said his recovery will be a slow but steady process. “My mother had no clue about what was happening. I told her that my show was not being shot due to a strike. There was a time when the who’s who of Bollywood came on my show. I have seen the highs. I have fallen, but I will rise again.”

Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; September 1, 2017)

Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; March 25, 2017)

With Sunil Grover, the mainstay of Kapil Sharma’s comedy show The Kapil Sharma Show unlikely to return to the set post an ugly fallout, a question mark hangs over the weekly production’s fate. The show is up for renewal next month with insiders saying it’d be a Rs 106 crore deal. But as co-acts Sunil, Ali Asgar and Chandan Prabhakar keep away, Kapil has introduced other stand-up artistes. The channel, however, isn’t too happy about it and is apparently considering pulling the plug on its top-rated programme.

A source says, “Kapil has had to cancel shoots as he couldn’t get big celebs as guests. He has, in fact, left for Bikaner to shoot for his film, Phirangi, and will return to Mumbai on March 29. ”

Sources said Sunil gets around Rs 7 lakh per episode while Kapil gets about Rs 1 crore an episode. While the focus is on Sunil, arguably the most loved act, the artiste hurting the most is Chandan, whom Kapil insulted on a flight. Chandan wants to work, but isn’t comfortable going back to the show, says an insider, adding, “Pata nahin Kapil ko kiski haaye lagi hai; October se show ki TRPs girti ja rahi hai ( Don’t know who has cursed Kapil; TRPs of his show have been dipping since last October)”.

Meanwhile, Kapil has started following Sunil on Twitter. But a source close to the latter says, “Sunil won’t return to the show even if given a big pay hike. He has several other offers. He just wants this phase to get over.”

Post drunken fracas on a flight, insiders say Sunil Grover, mainstay of Kapil Sharma Show, likely to walk out
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; March 20, 2017)

Stand-up comic Sunil Grover has made up his mind to quit The Kapil Sharma Show following an alleged mid- air fight with Kapil recently, sources close to him said. Sunil, who is the mainstay of the comedy skit and talk show, plays several characters including Dr Mashoor Gulati and Rinku Devi. Sources say he will hold a discussion with the producers before taking the step. The show’s producer, incidentally, happens to be Kapil’s company, even as it currently airs on television channel, Sony.

A source says, “Sunil is numbed by the way Kapil assaulted him during a flight from Melbourne, where they did a stage show. He was merely trying to calm down Kapil, who was drunk and hurling abuses at another team member, Chandan [Prabhakar].”

Kapil allegedly also took a swipe at a comedy show that Sunil had launched after parting ways with him after their first fall-out in 2014. “A female passenger asked Kapil to keep quiet, so Sunil told him, ‘Paaji tussi gaali mat do’. But, he got provoked and started abusing him. Sunil also got angry and stood up, but the other members stopped him. He then walked to the economy class where Kapil chased and hit him,” adds the source.

Kapil even hurled abuses at colleagues Ali Asgar aka Naani and Kiku Sharda aka Bumper Lottery, calling them “per day artistes” or daily wage earners, the source claims. He even threatened to end their acts on his show. While Ali was not available for comment, Kiku denied any such abuse meted out to him. He labelled Kapil “a sweet guy”, but refused to comment on Sunil’s episode.

Meanwhile, industry insiders feel Kapil was expecting the alleged incident to be reported and decided to divert attention by posting a photo of his ‘girlfriend’ Ginni Chatrath on social media. “Will not say she is my better half; she completes me. Love u Ginni. Please welcome her. I love her so much (sic),” read his tweet.