Kapil Sharma's rise on television from being a stand-up comedian to one of the country's most sought after entertainers is the stuff fairy tales are made of. Having conquered the hearts of many with "Comedy Nights With Kapil", he is now ready to try Bollywood with Yash Raj Films' "Bank Chor". However, the comic entertainer reveals he is not willing to allow his show to suffer at any cost.
Excerpts:
Q: Your one tweet has caused a nation-wide furore. Apparently you decided to end the show without consulting Colors (the channel where the show airs)?
A: (Sighs) I give my life and blood to the show. Even now as I talk to you I haven't slept for the last 36 hours. I'll never give up the show. I just wanted a break because I was exhausted.
Q: Absolutely. I hear the channel was taken aback by your tweet announcing the show's end. What made you take that shocking decision?
A: Every show has it own profile and destiny. The format on 'Comedy Nights...' required me to put together 26 episodes around the adventures of six family members. The 26 episodes stretched into 50 and then into a 100 episodes. I felt we needed to reinvent ourselves.
Q: I am aware of the barrage of movie offers that came your way until you finally said yes to the Yash Raj offer?
A: That's right. Before I said yes to Yash Raj's 'Bank Chor' I turned down some really good film offers including one by Sunil Manchanda the producers of 'Tere Naam'. I also said no Farhan Akhtar's offer. I felt really awful saying no to this one. The Yash Raj film I signed was supposed to go on the floors in March 2014. Now it's June. I am still not able to give them my dates. Actors crave to be in Yash Raj films. And here I am, delaying the shooting. I don't want them to think I am arrogant. But I consider 'Comedy Night...' to be bigger than any film.
Q: Apparently the Channel can't afford to let you go because the ratings of your show alone are higher than the aggregate ratings of all their other popular shows?
A: If that is the case I don't want to think about it. But I do know people wait for my show every week. I don't want to sound boastful because my mother would slap me if I became vain. 'Comedy Nights...' and every member of the show's family have become popular. I want the show to grow. For this I need a break of a month at least. True, no show in the history of Indian television has remained no.1 uninterrupted for a 100 episodes. But I don't want to compromise on quality.
Q: So once and for all are you planning to quit Comedy Nights?
A: I did 300 episodes of Comedy Circus. I am not the kind of person to abandon a show. Let me tell you, the offers that are coming my way are extremely tempting.I've no complaints against Colors. They've been wonderful to me.