EXCLUSIVE! Kapil Sharma on Netflix’s ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’: ‘My modest background helps me connect with people’ | Not Just Bollywood

Everybody has a story and so does Kapil Sharma. A comedian and actor who rose to fame and became a household name with the Kapil Sharma Show. He has a unique way of connecting with people. He talks about his journey in the entertainment, his growing up years in Amritsar to becoming India’s favourite star.

_The Great Indian Kapil Show_  is now featured in Netflix Global Top 10 lists.  That says a lot about the huge volume of audience that he has built up over a period of time.

When did your journey to fame start? When did you realise that this is the path that you wanted to pursue?

I am still learning and I am grateful and thankful to everyone who has been a part of my journey so far, and contributed in every way possible to the success that I enjoy currently. There have been many ups and downs and I am thankful for them because it made me the person I am today. It also made me realise not to take my audience for granted. So a lot of hard work and tons of gratitude in my heart later, here we are. I came into this field or profession accidently and after winning The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, back in 2007, things just kept happening one after the other.

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During your growing up years in Amritsar did you ever wanted to become an actor or a comedian?

Back in Amritsar, when I was growing up, my goal wasn’t to become an actor or a comedian. In school, I developed interest in singing and thought maybe one day, I could pursue this as a career choice. But like every middle class boy in my town, I was hoping to land a government job - which is stable and assures a steady income.

During college however, I was involved with theatre and I quite enjoyed it. Back in the day, one had to look at every aspect while putting up a college-level play - from acting to music, propping etc. It gave me a holistic understanding of things. After which, by the grace of God, things just happened. And now there’s no looking back. It feels great sometimes when I sit back and reflect. I had a passion for music, I am pursuing that in whichever way I can; I liked theatre and acting, I am fulfilling that passion as well; I like engaging with people and making them laugh - I would like to believe that I am doing good there as well. So I would just like to sum it up by saying that whatever opportunities I got in life, I grabbed them with both hands and I feel content and satisfied.

How Netflix’s _The Great Indian Kapil Sharma Show_ made you a brand?

I remember starting The Great Indian Kapil Show by saying - Agar koi cheez family ke liye fit hai, toh woh India hit hai. That’s what our brand of family-friendly comedy has always been about. With Netflix, we are now able to take our brand of humour internationally. The testament to this is the fact that we’ve been trending week on week on the Netflix Global Top 10.

How do you find it so easy to connect with people?

The very fact that I come from a modest background helps me connect with people better. There are shared experiences and that helps me relate to people better. For a minute let’s forget the background, social status, etc. We all have one thing common - and that is the power of observation. My small-town experiences, childhood stories, and banter with my wife or mother, all of it is something that people, regardless of where they come from, have either observed, experienced or heard as stories.

Recently, we had paid a surprise visit to a few fans in their homes - we honestly didn’t know what we were going to talk about. But the minute they opened the door, and welcomed us, their expression said it all - and that gave us inroads into making more conversations. Like they say every action has an equal and opposite reaction - in our case, our immediate reaction is to diffuse the situation and make it lighthearted, putting the person at ease.

How has OTT helped the show reach the global audience?

With a growing demand for the kind of content we do, worldwide, OTT allows you to consume content anytime and anywhere. And a platform like Netflix really understands the evolving consumption patterns of the audience. Netflix understands our creative process and is very collaborative. Our association with Netflix has been nothing but insightful. The testament to us reaching the global audience is the show featuring weekly in the Netflix Global Top 10 lists that also highlights the countries the show has been trending in.