The Kapil Sharma show review: Dull and disappointing

Kapil Sharma and Co were coming on air after a three-month break and with the kind of buzz it had, I couldn’t wait for it. Also, there was this curiosity about what Ali Asgar and Sunil Grover who became popular as Dadi and Gutthi would turn up with since they weren’t allowed to reprise their earlier roles by the channel which aired Comedy Nights With Kapil. What’s more the show had none other than Shah Rukh Khan endorsing it by appearing in the very first episode. Suffice it to say, the inaugural episode Live-in-Delhi, despite the Badshah was disappointing.

What is it about

The format remains the same as Kapil Sharma’s earlier show with a few things tweaked here and there. Kappu as he is called in the show has a bigger house now in Shantivan Non-Cooperative Society and instead of a dadi, he has a nani now in Ali Asgar. Sunil Grover and Kiku Sharda will essay different characters. Sumona Chakravorty has moved from being a wife to his girlfriend. Chandan Prabhakar has been upgraded from a servant to a chaiwala. Navjot Singh Siddhu continues his role as Paaji impressing the celebrities with his shero-shayaris. A new character Mohan has been introduced in the form of Suresh Menon who owns a toilet service.

What is hot

Kapil Sharma’s wit and funny one-liners bring a smile. In fact, the 10 minutes or so where he has a monologue is the best part of the show. However, in the launch episode which was a live recording from Delhi, Shah Rukh Khan stole the show completely. Being on his home turf (Delhi is his hometown), the superstar had the crowd eating out of his palm when he recalled some funny instances that happened to him in the lanes of the city. His ready wit and punchlines had even Kapil on the back foot. Sunil Grover playing a Haryanvi lady cop whose funny interaction with SRK and Gerua moment followed by his becoming a  ‘Fan’  and both of them dancing to Jabra Fan was hugely entertaining.  The second episode which as Kapil said was the beginning of the show had its moments when Ali turned up as the blind nani. His encounter with Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor was hilarious.

What is not

Too many things are similar to CNWK. It must have been difficult for Kapil and his creative team to come up with something that the audience is familiar with and at the same time fresh and innovative. And that shows. The new additions like Suresh Menon playing the stereotypical South Indian with the heavy accent is annoying. His owning a toilet service makes it worse. For some reason, toilet humour has always found a place on Kapil’s show and this time it’s become permanent, which is not at all amusing. Sunil’s doctor act did not raise any laughs either. At places the humour was trite and repetitive.

Verdict

No doubt, Kapil’s fans will rejoice at his return and watch it. But I don’t see the show getting any new fans. The show needed to be one up on CNWK but it hasn’t done that!

Rating: **
The Kapil Sharma Show
Sony TV
Saturday-Sunday, 9 pm