So Kapil Sharma is back with the
highly unimaginatively named The Kapil Sharma Show- and for anyone who has been
following the new edition of Comedy Nights with Kapil knows by now that it is
anything but that. It simply seems like the only change in plot is the channel
partner in question. The gimmicks are the same, the characters continue to
sleepwalk through their roles, the dialogues are repetitive, the stars
well…they seem to be the only ones not getting bored of their oh-so-frequent
appearances on the show and look more like Kapil’s extended parivaar members
these days. As for the lead star of the show, he seems to be hitting the hammer
on a flattened piece of scrap that he refuses to let go off. Why should he, he
still gets to take home a fat pay cheque. The less said the better of Sidhu
paaji, the avuncular jolly good Godfather-like character of the show and its
lucky mascot. He doesn’t add any value to the show, has a penchant for enjoying
the dampest of jokes and loves putting every guest on the show on a pedestal.
Indian TV plots have a knack of
milking every concept idea dry before they can it. So while you have a ready
audience for substandard fare, who cares two hoots about creativity or
originality? Now I have observed several stand-up comediennes take real effort
and improvise to make every act on-trend, incisive, fresh and really funny.
That’s exactly where the show fails us so here’s a quick look at what the makers
of the show need to drop/get rid of if they need to sustain the format for
long:
1) Kapil’s
constant derision of his wife. It’s boring, insulting and I’m not even going to
get in to how sexist most of his jokes can be.
2) The
Lecherous Daadi needs to lay off. She is cute, can yap nineteen to the dozen
and loves high strung drama. But is it really funny when she latches herself on
to every embarrassed star on the show to indulge in some kinky shenanigans??
3) Sunil
Grover is a versatile actor no doubt and I would probably burn my fingers if I
say anything against him but give him some new direction instead of indulging
in the same staid ‘flirty meets fanatic’ act everytime, along the same lines of
Daadi. And even the otherwise talented Kiku Sharda who follows suit.
4) Can
we have a show where the stars invited do more than just gloat about how good
Kapil and his show is? Will this PR-driven exercise of mutual promotion ever
end? And if you must have stars on the show tied in with their film promos,
because that is the only time they seem to be available can we at least have
them do and speak new things?
5) Last
but not the least, can we have an audience that is not so gawky-eyed and
foolish in front of the camera? I know this is no We The People but the dumbing
down of entertainment in the name of comedy starts with an unintelligent
audience asking cringe-worthy questions like, “Kya aap mere se shaadi karoge?”
to realizing the dream of dancing the most ridiculous dance of their lives with
their favourite stars.
The likes of
comedy artists who enjoy the kind of adulation that a Kapil Sharma does have to
realise that making people laugh is a serious job at the end of the day. It’s
good to be light-hearted but not light-headed when it comes to churning out
regular episodes of engaging and rib-tickling comedy for the masses. Everyone
loves a star but even an SRK has to find ways to reinvent himself with Fan
every time he serves up duds like Happy New Year and Dilwale and the very same
people who enjoy Kick applaud Salman when he plays less macho in a film like
Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The undoing of talent may reap profits in the name of a
brand that is driven further through audience-generated hype but the very same
audience can pan a Gutthi when she gets on a show of her own. So makers of such
shows will be well-advised to reinvent before they repent!
