You came from Amritsar wanting to be a singer and became a comedian. Are you happy, or is there a small part of you that still wants to make it as a singer?
I enjoy singing... Music has always been my passion, I have never aimed at making a career out of it. Like I never thought I would make a career out of my funny bone!
Since I have most of the top names from the singing fraternity come on my show, I don’t miss the opportunity to sing a bit on my own too as I enjoy it. [Oscar winner] AR Rahman offered to work with me on one of my own show’s episodes…
Did you do serious theatre in college?
Yes, I did all kinds of theatre during my student days... more serious, in fact I used to train students too in theatre while I was still studying and learning myself.
Your first pay for a performance was Rs 300, and now you are on the Forbes’ list as one of the richest performers... How did you manage that?
Lots of hard work, faith in my vision, perseverance and above all, God’s blessings! I have never worked just for money. I need to be extremely convinced of what I put my hands into.
Was money ever the goal for you, or was it just performing?
Money was and is secondary. Like I said, I need to have faith in the product first. I hate giving advice to anyone, but I would say, just keep working hard and focus, Nothing is unachievable.
Has fame made you more private, wiser and more cautious, or has it liberated you?
It’s definitely given me more relatives, ha ha! Jokes apart, I am the same as I was when I started out. I hang out with the same set of friends. My team has been the same ever since I started doing television in Mumbai, so I can be myself with them. So, nothing has changed.
How do you do the research for your shows? Are you a part of the scripting process? Do you insist on final say in what goes on? Or is it more collaborative?
It’s team work, and I am involved in every step from start to finish.
What is your inspiration for the show? Do you base your characters on real life?
Most definitely. I observe people a lot. I pick up nuances from the common man all the time. And you will be surprised that my team and I get a lot of inspiration from the behaviour pattern of my junior staff! Ha ha!
What are your favourite moments from the show? Tell us some of the things about/your partners that make it work?
This time on the Kapil Sharma Show I have been doing a few characters on my fans’ demands and we are getting a huge response on this. I enjoy it myself too. My co-actors have been with me since quite a few years now so we tend to use each other’s strengths well on stage
There is a said to be a fine line between being humorous and being insensitive..
One has to be careful and a little sensitive on a platform like ours. My show’s format is very different… it’s a feel-good, happy show so we don’t need to really worry about offending anyone as that never happens.
For a comedian, timing is said to be everything. Is it something you are born with, or can it be learnt and developed?
Good timing definitely gets even better with practice, but it comes from within. Comedy can never be learned .. you have to be born with it!
You have said that you want to take on politicians like Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on your show. Have they responded so far?
We have just started inviting political personalities on my show. Our first was Anna Hazaareji on the occasion of our show on Gandhi Jayanti. I am sure we will invite many more. When Anna ji came on the show the world saw a different side of him. My show has no political agenda.
Who would be the ultimate guest for you on your show? Why?
All our guests are special.. there is no ultimate guest as such, but yes, I would love to have cricketing genius Sachin Tendulkar and singer Lataji (celebrated singer Lata Mangeshkar) on the show soon. They both watch and enjoy the show. I am waiting for them to come on soon!
What do you do when you come across a difficult audience that does not laugh at your jokes?
That’s never happened... I should actually think and prepare myself for what if it ever does!
What do you dream about? Or have you already achieved your dreams?
Lots and lots to achieve.. this is just the beginning.
What can the audience expect from your show in Dubai?
Everything new! Getting along the new characters of the family from the new show… It’s our first time in Dubai since we launched the new show, so the audience is going to love it.
Comedy with Kapil Sharma and Family’ will be performed at Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre, on 27 October 2016. Tickets at https://dubai.platinumlist.net/
