THE COMEDY SHOWSTOPPER

The actor and comedian has faced several challenges but his ability to make people laugh, his next-door-boy image and the ability to connect with masses, have enhanced his brand value

- Ankita Mookherjee

KAPIL SHARMA

Last month, Kapil Sharma, the host of popular comedy series The Kapil Sharma Show, announced that he and his team were moving to a “new house”, referring to the shift from television to over-the-top streaming platform Netflix with a new comedy show. Sharma’s eponymous show has played a pivotal role in giving him his popular identity as the king of comedy. On air since 2016, it has had a five-season run, with the last one wrapped up in June this year, winning several awards during the course.

Sharma is an “actor who loves to make people laugh”, reads the description on his Instagram profile. As a student of fine arts at Hindu College, Amritsar, he directed plays for pocket money and worked in a cloth mill. He wanted to be a singer but instead landed in the world of stand-up comedy. In 2006, he participated in Hasde Hasande Ravo, a Punjabi show which aired on MH One channel. A win in The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Season 3 in 2007, after initial rejection in the audition round, set the stage for greater heights.

The winning streak continued through six consecutive seasons of Comedy Circus on Sony Entertainment Television. Based on its study, a 2020 report by the Indian Institute of Human Brands rated him the most humorous person on television. He also hosted Comedy Nights with Kapil, a show produced under his banner K9 Productions and aired on Colors channel. It had appearances by celebrity guests and a liberal dose of desi humour and was an instant hit with the viewers. The last episode of the show aired on January 24, 2016.