Ace comic actors Kapil Sharma, Ali Asgar and Krishna Abhishek list out the ills within the comedy industry today and what can be done to better that situation. Deebashree Mohanty & Sangeeta Yadav caught up with the funny trio
Although, I take home a double-digit salary at the end of the month plus some bonus, my relatives and family members are not too happy with the way I make my living. My aunt says: ‘Tum logon ko hasaney ka paisa letey ho’. The stereotype that making people laugh cannot be a business needs to change,” ace entertainer Kapil Sharma says. Sharma who hosts the popular Comedy Nights with Kapil on Colors tells you how India still lags behind in understanding mature comedy.
“PJs that started in school and college are still enjoyed by many but when it comes to poking fun on themselves our audience needs to learn a few lessons. We still don’t have an open mind while taking a joke on us. Many stand up comediennes have to deal with this limitation while performing. Sometimes it can get very depressing,” Sharma, who is entangled in yet another controversy regarding a joke he made on pregnant women on his chat show, says.
Bu it is these very problems that keep him going. “When you have a show of your own, challenges will only double. I was prepared for all sorts of problems. Initially, we had planned for only 26 episodes of Comedy Nights With Kapil but as the response increased we decided to extend,” Sharma says.
What about the competition he will face from other such showsIJ “In showbiz, everything comes with an expiry date. You will be a fool to think you can last forever with a stale concept. Many people come and go, some leave their mark. I want to be in that category,” he says.
As for Ali Asgar, another top comic personality in town, it is the content of the show that matters. “I have acted in various platforms but I found my calling in comedy shows. For a nation that was deprived of creative comedy talent for long, I think we have come a long way. But there is still scope for us to better,” he says, adding that the biggest change that he would like to see in this field is genuine content and not only below the belt humour. “We lack good comedy scriptwriters. In a population of some millions, how difficult is it to find someone who can make sense out of a comedy showIJ,” he asks indignantly.
So, is this a lucrative career choice to makeIJ “Why notIJ If you have the hunar to make people give you their money hanste hanste, I don’t see why you shouldn’t grab the opportunity. Jokes apart, I am proud of what I do. It is one of the most difficult creative professions,” Sharma says stressing that stagnation is an evil in the comedy industry.
Asgar agrees. “It’s not easy to come up with ideas to make people laugh. There’s no point repeating yourself,” he adds.
For Krishna Abhishek this industry has its share of problems. There is danger of over exposure with limited comediennes. Then, there is also the issue of the comedy industry being male-dominated. “This is a very male industry. Actors end up working in the industry for 40 years but that’s not the scene with actresses. They come on and off and work for 15 years in the industry. Not a single comedy movie has been made solely on actresses,” Krishna says, adding that the pay package is slightly better. “Earlier we were paid peanuts. Now we are paid angoors. Otherwise, nothing has changed,” he says.