Smita Poojary (DNA; August 20, 2019)

Archana Puran Singh recently made a comeback on television by replacing Navjot Singh Sidhu as the permanent celeb guest on The Kapil Sharma Show (TKSS). She says about the reunion with Kapil and team, “In the beginning, it was like a guest visiting old friends and family. Gradually, I turned into a permanent member again and it was back to the way they always were. They never stopped pulling my leg or taking digs at me. So, it’s been fantastic.”

Excerpts from a chat with the actress...

How does it feel to be back on TV after a long time? Were you a fan of the show before being a part of it?
My history with Kapil goes back to Comedy Circus. I’ve been his colleague, well-wisher and a huge fan. So, when TKSS started, I was still judging that show and that time, they took Navjot Singh Sidhu. When Sidhu went away for about two weeks, Kapil called me for two episodes. When he had to leave again for his election campaign, I was called for a couple of episodes. I was excited to be back because the backstage and onstage teams are pretty much the same as Comedy Circus. It was a sort of reunion and a lot of comfort working with Kapil and the team.

Krushna Abhishek and Kapil crack a lot of joke about you replacing Sidhu...
This joke has been going on since Comedy Circus days. The show went on for about eight years. I was the judge and there were two others -- from Satish Shah to Shekhar Suman to Arbaaz Khan, Johny Lever and Rohit Shetty -- who kept changing; but I was constant. They used to make fun of me saying, ‘Yeh judges ko kha jaati hai’. Now, Sidhu has exited and I’m on The Kapil Sharma Show, so, they’ve gone crazy again. These jibes are just for humour and people are enjoying them.

How is it working with the Salman Khan as a producer?
As a producer, Salman does not come to the set every day. He came for the promotions of his film Bharat and we saw each other at the time. But, yes, working with him means there’s the comfort of having somebody who is an old friend. We have known each other for years. So, it’s like working in a company that your friend owns; there is always security, knowing that you’re in safe hands. And Salman is such a good-hearted human being. He is the most chilled-out actor and takes jokes on himself so well. In an industry where egos are so big, there are very few actors who can take the failure of a film and laugh at themselves.

You have lent your voice to Zeta in The Angry Birds Movie 2. How was that experience?
Before dubbing for it, I had a viral fever but couldn’t back out. So, I went and checked my voice. The team said it sounded all good. I put in extra effort to make sure that the gruff voice did not come in the recording. It was the best experience of my life in spite of being unwell because doing something new and different is always exciting and I love challenges.

Having worked in movies, television, and reality shows, how would you describe your career?
It’s been a long, fruitful, rewarding and beautiful journey. I’m so blessed that I’ve had so many different roles to play. It has been 38 years now! My identity is so entrenched as an actor and celebrity on television that I cannot imagine a life where I’m not part of the industry. The fact that the industry has welcomed me even though I was an outsider and even after almost four decades is still giving me love and work every year makes me feel so happy.

Duo chirps loud as they join Sharma to lend voice to Hindi version of The Angry Birds Movie 2
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; July 26, 2019)

The makers of the Hollywood flick, The Angry Birds Movie 2 have decided to bank on the camaraderie that Kapil Sharma, Archana Puran Singh and Kiku Sharda share on the former’s sketch show, to promote the film’s Hindi version.

Following reports of Sharma lending his voice to the animated offering, mid-day has it that Singh will be the voice of Zeta, and Sharda, of Leonard in the upcoming movie. Even though comedian-actor Bill Hader has given the voice to Leonard’s character in the English version, Sharda isn’t perturbed about the comparisons that may crop up. “When you are dubbing for a film in Hindi, things change. But, before I began dubbing, I heard how he had lent his voice and built the character, and tried to match his energy. This character is interesting, and I tried to lend my style to it.”

Even though Sharda is always ebullient on set, he found it challenging to do justice to the energy of the character when lending his voice to it. Sharda promises abundant interesting banters between his character and that of Red, which has been voiced by Sharma. “[They have been taken from] our show, where we share a love-hate relation. We have tried to bring the same energy in the film.”

A lover of animated offerings, Singh was only too happy to go behind the mic for the film, which is being released in the country by Sony Pictures Entertainment India. “I am looking forward to my family and fans hearing me, and reuniting with my Kapil Sharma family,” she says.

Kapil Sharma on dubbing for the hot-headed bird in the film’s Hindi version
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 25, 2019)

Three years after the release of Angry Birds, an animated film based on a popular video game by the same name, the makers are coming up with a sequel. Like most Hollywood films, The Angry Birds Movie 2 will be dubbed in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu for its release in India. Mirror has learnt that Kapil Sharma has been roped in to lend his voice to the central character, Red, for the film’s Hindi version.

Comedian-actor Jason Sudeikis has been voicing the character in English and though nervous about matching his pitch, Kapil eventually found the dubbing to be fun because “there was ample of scope to improvise”. Pointing out that dubbing for a film is different than voicing for a character, he says, “In the West, artists first voice for their characters and based on that, the film is shot using graphics. But over here, we have to talk according to the graphics.”

The comedian-actor, who rose to fame with a television show, confesses that he could relate to the character he was voicing for. “He is the hero but, at times, he gets entangled in tough situations. Knowing my history, you’d agree I am Red”, he chuckles.

Kapil goes on to promise that his audience will not be disappointed as Red is quite funny just like him. “The producers (Sony Pictures Entertainment India) expected me to scale up the humour and I have but it’s very situational. In fact, there are times when the character’s anger will make people laugh,” he reveals, adding that he is certain that people will connect to Red. “Though I’ll be voicing the character, they won’t see me in it,” he assures.

Recently, Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan, Ranveer Singh have lent their voice for the Hindi version of Hollywood films. Ask Kapil if the trend is here to stay and he reasons, “When Shah Rukh Bhai dubbed for the film, the audience could relate more to the character because it spoke in a voice they recognised.”

On the personal front, Kapil and Ginni Chatrath, who tied the knot in December last year, are set to welcome their first child. “I just want to take care of my wife and be by her side for now. We are obviously very excited as it’s our first kid but my mother is the most excited. She has been waiting for this moment for years now. We are just praying for Ginni and the baby’s health,” Kapil shares. And how is he prepping up for his role of a father? “There is no prep because we don’t know if it would be a boy or girl. It’s a happy time for the family and everybody is looking forward to welcome the new member,” he says dismissively before quipping, “I am dubbing for a film for children. So, once the baby grows up, it will pay off,” he grins.