Encouraged by wife Ginni, Kapil Sharma resumed shoot after four months
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 1, 2020)

After 120 days, Kapil Sharma is back on the sets of Sony TV’s laughathon. After resuming work, the comedian-actor shot the first episode of The Kapil Sharma Show with Sonu Sood, who has emerged as a real-life hero during the Coronavirus pandemic, sending the migrant workers home and offering others jobs. “The episode with Sonu paaji was different from other shoots as it’s more like our tribute to him and with a dose of laughter. There is also an emotional live video chat with some of the migrants he helped,” informs Kapil, adding that Sonu was accompanied by his entire team working with him on-ground.

He shares that the video chats will be a regular part of the show now, since they cannot have live audiences in the studio. They will be interacting with people from Gurgaon to Kolkata to the US in an attempt to bring a little bit of sunshine to people’s lives in these tough times. They have shot a special episode with the families of all the comic artistes on the show. “Films are not releasing theatrically right now, so actors won’t come often. But, we have done an episode with Archana ji’s (judge Puran Singh) husband, Parmeet Sethi, Kiku’s (Sharda) wife Priyanka and Krushna’s (Abhishek) wife, Kashmera. “It was a homely feeling,” he smiles, admitting his better half Ginny won’t be stepping out for the next six months, till their baby starts walking. “In fact, I’ve heard that parents get even busier when the child starts walking. But sometime in the future, we’d like to do an episode with Ginny too.”

Their daughter, Anayra, was born in December and Kapil sees the forced break as a blessing in disguise as he got to spend a lot of time with her. “I canned back-to-back episodes in December as a result of which I didn’t get much time with her. Anayra was three months old when the lockdown was imposed. One needs to find happiness in all situations,” he philosophises, admitting that while he was at peace with his family, he was disturbed by what was happening across the globe. “I was feeling a little low, which is why my wife insisted I get back to shooting to take my mind off all this.”

Kapil and his gang have shot multiple episodes so far and the host insists that discussing gags with his team can be an escape from reality. “We are on the set for eight to 10 hours a day, it feels good to be amongst friends. The producers have made good arrangements to ensure our safety,” he avers, promising they will try to give a comic touch to current affairs. “We will talk of Covid too, but on a lighter note. As an artiste, it’s my responsibility to spread positivity.”

The show will be aired every weekend from now. Will producer Salman Khan come as a guest on any episode? “Salman bhai has isolated himself at the farm and isn’t shooting for anything now. But Nadeem bhai from his team is always on the set,” he says.

Ask him about his journey from being a participant on the stand-up comedy show, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, to having a show with his name and he says, “It’s the love of people that has got me so much work. Whenever you think, you have learnt it all, life teaches you something new. I am learning every day and this love gives me the energy to push the envelope.”

After Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon and Firangi, is there another film in the pipeline? “I am listening to a lot of scripts,” he shoots back.

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; July 18, 2020)

He is inherently funny, no wonder that even in tough times, he finds a reason to laugh out loud. He narrates real-life situations in his usual tongue-in-cheek fashion that will make you crack up. We guess, that’s a trait and a skill, which comes with being a fine comedian — that you can stand up and face crisis, all with a dose of humour. In a conversation with BT, Kapil Sharma talks about living and enjoying the new phase of his life in the new normal, the lessons that he’s learnt from his past blunders and how there is still that ‘bachpana’ in him, which he’d like to hold on to. Read on...

We have all been mostly homebound for over three months now. Given how hectic the shooting schedule of your show used to be, did this come as a much-needed break?
Mujhe films dekhne ka bahut shauk hai, but I never got enough time. I have watched so many movies and shows during this period that all the stories have merged in my head. During the first 50 days (of the Coronavirus lockdown), I ate a lot. Then, when I saw my triple chin, maine socha... ab aur nahin (laughs!). Agar yeh lockdown chalta rahega and I keep eating this way, jab baahar nikloonga toh log pehchanenge nahin. Then, I started exercising and controlling my diet a bit. Also, time has flown by for me, as my entire life revolves around my little daughter, Anayra.

Parenting is said to be a life-changing experience. Your daughter Anayra is seven months old now. Tell us about this new phase of fatherhood in your life...
Yes, it is life-changing. Earlier, when I was a bachelor, life was different. Main yaar-doston ke ghar pe hota tha, ya woh mere ghar pe. Mehfil lagi rehti thi. All that changed after marriage, and I started spending more time at home with my wife (Ginni). And now, after the baby’s arrival, it has changed even more. A baby brings in surprises into our life every day. After marriage, our conversations were about each other, lekin baby ke hone ke baad, everything is centered around her. Life gets more disciplined, but the reverse can also happen, because when the child wakes up at 4 am, you have to wake up, too. However, in my case, the good thing is that Anayra does not have to wake me up… usko uska baap always jagaa hua milta hai chaar baje. I think daughters have a special connect with fathers. Right now, I feel Anayra thinks that duniya mein teen hi log hai…baap, ma aur nanny. Because of the lockdown, she hasn’t really seen anyone else. Mujhe lagta hai usko dikhana padega ki baahar kareeb 130 crore log aur bhi hai, abhi toh sirf hum hi duniya main hain woh maan ke chal rahi hai.

Kapil, you have seen several highs and lows — personally, and professionally — and every time, you have bounced back. What did the low phase in your life teach you? Also, did it change you as a person?
Mujhe abhi bhi lagta hai ke mera bachpana nahin gaya hai. I guess, I like to be in that zone. I think that life teaches you something every day. After marriage and fatherhood, there is certainly a mind shift and you start thinking that abhi mujhe iske liye jeena hai, iske liye apne aap ko fit rakhna hai.

I have had my share of highs and lows, but sometimes, we allow certain problems and issues to come into our life and disturb our rhythm. The way we react to the problem is what makes it bigger or smaller. Maine ek cheez seekhi hai, ki aap saari duniya ko khush nahin kar sakte ho. Yes, through your work you probably can, but personally, agar aap lage rehte ho har kisi ko khush karne mein, uss chakkar mein aap apne aap ko hurt kar baithte ho. Mere life mein aise bahut saare experiences hai, kitne blunders hue hai life mein…mujhe lagta hai ab bhi bahut kuch seekhna baaki hai. However, a lot of things that seemed blurred earlier have now become clear to me.

Has humour, which comes so naturally to you, helped you tide through tough times?
Yes, humour can help you through your low phases. If you are going through a bad phase and you see people in front of you haste-khelte, unki energy aapke upar positive asar daalti hai. It’s not like mera profession comedy hai toh main hamesha khush hi rahoonga. Meri zindagi mein bhi utaar-chadhav bahut aate hai. Woh andar wali happiness bahut zaroori hai, aur woh kahan pe hai…aapko dhoondni padti hai. Like this phase that we are going through, I value it because I am getting so much time with my family. Creative people also need time for themselves, so there is something positive about it, too. So yes, humour can help us get through tough times, aur zindagi ko jitni lightly le, utni mazey se kat jaayegi. We overthink so much about what happened in the past and what could happen in the future, that we miss out on the joys that we have in the present.

Several stand-up comedians are doing shows from their homes for an online audience. In a recent chat with us, some of them expressed how it does not give the same high and excitement that comes from the laughs and claps of a live audience. What’s your view?
My show is recorded for television, but there, too, we have a live audience on the set. So, I understand what they are saying…jo live show ka maza hota hai artiste ke liye, woh kuch aur hi hai. In stand-up comedy, a lot depends on the response of the people watching you. Mere case mein toh, main apni audience ke saath bada hasee-mazak karta rehta hoon. It’s so interactive. Aapne ek joke crack kari aur taaliyan aayi logon ki, tab tak aap kuch doosra soch lete ho. Toh performing in front of an audience and sitting at home doing a show on Insta live for an online audience — usme zameen-aasman ka fark hai. Jo maza stage pe aata hai, woh kahin nahi mil sakta.

So, you must be keenly waiting to go back on set and do what you love most?
Itna velle rehni ki aur khane ki aadat padh gayi hai ki abhi lagta hai ki zindagi aise hi hai. Jab khatam ho jayenge jo bhi paise savings mein rakhe hain, tab pata chalega hamein (laughs!).

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; April 5, 2020)

At a time when the country is practising social distancing to keep Coronavirus at bay, celebrities are making the most of their free time by pursuing their hobbies and spending quality time with their family.

A case in point is ace comedian Kapil Sharma, who is enjoying every minute of this stay-at-home phase with his three-monthold daughter, Anayra. He shares, “Aaj kal saara din baby ke saath khelta rehta hoon, and khaata aur sota hoon, bas. Badi mushkil se routine sahi hui thi. Usko settle aur hamein time par sote hue 10 din hi hue the ki phir se routine change ho gaya. Abhi baby bhi bore ho gayi hai dekh dekh ke mujhe saara din. Usko lagta hai, ‘Mera baap kuchh karta hi nahi hai’ (laughs!).”

Kapil has mostly been at home ever since his bundle of joy arrived. “In a way, I have been in a lockdown state since December 10, the day Anayra was born. I would step out only for two days a week to shoot for the show,” he says.

The comedian, who has barely spoken to the media about his daughter so far, tells us that he can’t keep his eyes off his baby. He says, “I don’t even realise when the day goes by. Abhi uska mere saath thoda zyada attachment ho gaya hai. Pehle Ginni (wife) ko hi dekh kar hasti thi. Since the past few days, she has started recognising me and even smiles. That feeling is out of the world. She totally justifies her name — Anayra, which means happiness. She smiles like my mother and me. Hum teeno ki aankhein band ho jaati hain haste time. Khoobsurat apni mummy jaisi hai woh, and thank God for that (laughs!).”

This phase has also led to a lot of introspection and realisation. Kapil shares, “We take a lot of things for granted. The lockdown has made us realise the value of people who work for us relentlessly. I have also realised that my mother has started behaving like a child, now that she has crossed a certain age. Jaise gajak (sweet) aayi thi Punjab se toh mummy ne bahut sari gajak dabbe mein daal kar apne room mein rakh lee. When I asked for it, I was told that it’s not in the kitchen and that I needed to ask my mother.”

He adds, “It’s been 14 years since I moved to Mumbai, but it’s for the first time maine koyal ki awaaz suni aur sparrows dekhe; something that I would see in my hometown, Amritsar. It feels like nature is in detox mode. Having said that, I want normalcy back in our lives again. Sadkon par raunak rahe toh achha lagta hai. Kisko achha lagta hai soonsaan pada hua hain sheher saara.”

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 30, 2020)

“I have been home ever since my daughter was born in December. I would step out only to shoot for my show’s episodes. Now, of course, we aren’t shooting, so staying at home hasn’t really been all that different,” says Kapil Sharma.

He is glad to be at home with his three-month old daughter Anayra and wife Ginni as “time passes quickly when you have a child at home”. Moreover, he has been watching online content, has written a stand up skit and has started reading books that he had bought at airports but never read. He says, “I am happy that India has things under control, and I pray that the Coronavirus lockdown works and helps us get rid of the virus. People should follow it strictly but some of them aren’t taking it seriously as they don’t know the gravity of the situation. We should learn from countries that were prepared and ones that were not, about what to do and what not to do.”

The actor-comedian says that this lockdown has allowed a lot of nature to come back in our midst, “Earlier, I hardly could hear birds chirping, but recently, I was glad to hear a Koyal singing, and even spotted some sparrows near my house. It felt like kudrat detox kar rahi hai. We have developed a lot but in that race, we took nature for granted.”

Sharma also recently went live on Facebook, and spoke to his fans about Covid-19, the lockdown and the seriousness of it. He adds, “God forbid, if we were facing water shortage across the world, it would unimaginable. We should save water, ban plastic, and plant more trees. No one had ever imagined that a virus would bring the world to a standstill, but this virus has brought the world together. We have to change the way we think.”

Sharma has donated ₹50 lakh to the PM’s relief fund and urges others to do what they can to help people. “I read that [Telugu stars] Pawan Kalyan and Ram Charan had donated to the fund, so I felt I should as well. I tweeted about it so that people come forward and do their bit. At this time, any sum is helpful. We can afford to stay at home without pay checks for months but there are so many daily wage earners who need our help right now. I am also helping the NGOs near my house who are helping the strays and needy people in the vicinity,” he signs off.

Grace Cyril (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 29, 2020)

Best known for his onscreen characters — Gutthi, Dr Mashoor Gulati or Rinku Devi — actor-comedian Sunil Grover has made everyone roll with laughter. And he has no qualms admitting that he loves to be in disguise while performing. So much so, that he feels “comfortable” playing somebody else. “It’s more like hiding your identity. I’m not very comfortable with myself because I don’t think I’m an interesting person. I like disguises because then, I become someone else. I really love becoming a woman somehow. Just make me wear a saree and I’ll be happy. ”

Sunil’s approach towards his craft involves turning into a character and immediately getting into its skin. He says, “It’s easy and natural for me because I keep looking at people. They’re the best time pass for me. I notice their body language, how they behave and react. I’m interested in human behaviour and psychology. I look at people and then try to understand the state of mind they’re in. It’s like meditation for me. I start functioning in a different way and that’s why I’m an actor.”

Sunil, who was last seen in the Salman Khan-starrer Bharat (2019) is mostly spotted in comic roles, however, he clarifies that hasn’t been a conscious decision. “I don’t know how, but it just happened. Somehow people were connected to my funny bone and they always laughed at my jokes, and I also started enjoying that. I got popular for what I really like to do,” says the actor, who will next be seen in a yet-untitled web series alongside actor Saif Ali Khan. “I can’t talk much about it. I’m working on it right now but people have seen a glimpse of it in the trailer,” he says.

No conversation with Sunil is complete without mentioning his infamous tiff with fellow actor-comedian Kapil Sharma that happened three years ago and the two have not shared screen space together since. Asked if things have got better between them, he says, “If it has to happen, it will happen. There is no development as such.”

Sunil recently congratulated Kapil on Twitter on the birth of his daughter. “A daughter is a gift from God. And I think it is the most beautiful thing that has happened to him and his family. I would like to wish Kapil and his daughter especially, a happy, healthy and joyous life,” says the actor.

Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 11, 2019)

December has clearly become a month of milestones in this celebrity household. Kapil Sharma and Ginni Chatrath tied the knot on December 12 last year in Jalandhar. On Tuesday, December 10, the couple welcomed a baby girl at a SoBo hospital. The actor-comedian, who shared the happy news online, was soon inundated with congratulatory messages.

Incidentally, Kapil’s close friend Rajiev Dhingra, who was associated with his last show, Comedy Nights With Kapil, and also directed him in his home production Firangi, became a father to a baby boy last week in the same hospital. “Our rooms are next to each other. Ginni had a natural delivery, while my wife went through a C-section. Kapil was a bit stressed on Monday night, but everyone is really happy now,” Rajiev says.

Meanwhile, Kapil is all set to return to work. “He was supposed to shoot for an episode of The Kapil Sharma Show with Deepika Padukone on Wednesday and another one with the Good Newwz gang on Thursday. When the production team reached out to him, he assured them that the shoot will go on as per schedule,” a source close to the show informed.

After wrapping up the two episodes, Kapil will shoot for the next episode in the new year. “The team had decided the schedule keeping the due date in mind. So, there are no more episodes planned for this month. The next one will happen only after the first week of January,” the source added.