The Kapil Sharma Show on SonyLiv and Comedy Nights with Kapil on the Colors channel had a great fan following. The TRPs of both shows were off the roof, and there was nothing that could stop Kapil Sharma from becoming the next best thing across India, the subcontinent, and the diaspora after Ekta Kapoor. Kapil Sharma is arguably one of the better comedians to come out of India and has managed to pull off a success story and has been able to sustain his career for this long. Yes, the man has had his ups and downs, but his resilience to stay on top of his game is what thrust him into relevance. His foray into films has also been appreciated.
Kapil Sharma last appeared on Netflix when he performed his stand-up special, which was highly appreciated for his honesty and command over the skill. It proved Kapil could work even when he was out of his comfort zone. This was the reason many were excited about Kapil’s debut as host of his show on Netflix.
he Great Indian Kapil Show, the title of his Netflix debut, is probably an ode to the first-ever television reality show that Kapil won, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. It was essential for this show to be different from other chat shows, which many consume daily on several social media platforms. Netflix brings this show in the hope of banking on the success, support and appreciation the man has received from television audiences. The best part of this chat show is watching Kapil Sharma finally get recognized for his talent by the streaming giant that is now available in 192 countries in various languages. It was expected of Kapil Sharma to come up with something new and not present a rehashed version of what audiences have been watching over the years. The television audience is used to a certain kind of humor that involves making fun of the wife and mother as domineering figures in the relationship. This humor is dated, and Netflix should have known such sexist jokes should be on the way out and not be promoted through a show that will be watched by countless people around the world.
Kapil Sharma is known for a certain kind of humor, which is a mix of roasting and mockery and includes jokes on wives, mothers, marriage, and fat shaming. After a point, the show was beating around the bush with nothing new to offer till the end. The set and the premises are exactly like the ones most of the audience has witnessed since the beginning of his chat shows. The makers hardly invested any time in presenting an interesting premise that was different from his older shows. We are guessing the writers were instructed to make awkward gags, unfunny lines. The director and the editor were probably instructed to add countless shots of the guests laughing, which is unwise if the makers were hoping for the show to be watchable.
This week’s guest is Neetu Kapoor and her children, Ranbir Kapoor and Ridhima Kapoor-Sahni, who for the first time appear as a family on a televised talk show. One must give it to Kapil for making the audience and the guests comfortable and make them open up about their life stories. This is exactly what the audience wanted from the latest season of Koffee with Karan. The dullest episode of Koffee with Karan has to be with Neetu Kapoor and Zeenat Aman. In comparison, Neetu Kapoor was more comfortable sharing her family and professional life-related anecdotes on The Great Indian Kapil Show. These stories are supposed to make the audience believe their families are as normal as they come, and Kapil Sharma can bring out their genuineness in conversation. The conversation was mainly about Ranbir and Ridhima’s lives growing up, the success of Animal, and Ridhima making her Netflix debut soon. Besides such authentic conversation, the show loses grip as many gags are introduced. The gags involving Kiku Sharda being shamed for being on the heavier side are the most tried and tested, and honestly, that does not generate any laughs.
The only highlight of the show must be the return of Sunil Grover after a six years hiatus from the show. Sunil Grover and Kapil Sharma had a major falling out, and now both seem to have reconciled for the brand-new Netflix special. It is interesting to witness Sunil Grover being in his element and almost overshadowing Kapil Sharma in that process. Though the gag is funny only in bits and pieces, the makers made sure Sunil Grover could steal the show. The idea behind bringing Sunil Grover on The Great Indian Kapil Show is to increase the ratings and elevate the audience interest in the show.
The new gag has Krushna Abhishek as Bobby Deol of Animal. Imitating Bobby Deol’s character in Animal has been the most overused bit by many comedians for their gags. The team needs a better script with good jokes that could surprise the regulars and the new audience. The Great Indian Kapil Show does have competition from chat shows like Koffee with Karan and other candid celebrity interviews across various OTT platforms. The Great Indian Kapil Show should have a niche premise for them to stand out. The entire episode is littered with Animal references, as the movie is streaming on Netflix. The over-the-top product placement kind of works in favor of Sandeep Reddy Vanga and the chat show. The pilot episode sadly is vanilla. Hopefully, the next episode will be filled with anecdotes from the cricket field, as Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer will be gracing the couch and spending time on the show.
