Kapil Sharma to Bharti Singh: These comedians surely make you laugh but laughter isn't always the best medicine for them

It was sheer talent, wit and gift of the gab that saw Kapil Sharma rising to glory cutting across geographical boundaries. Till a year ago, he was the most sought-after stand-up comic and the highest-paid comedian on TV. But, today it’s a different story. Tales of his alleged drunken brawls, mood swings and depression have taken centre stage. If his rise was steady and solid, his downfall has been dramatic. His last show Family Time With Kapil went off air after two episodes, and he is yet to make a comeback.

Then there’s Sidharth Sagar, best known as Selfie Mausi, who disappeared from the limelight for almost six months. He was coping with depression and drug addiction before he decided he was spiralling in the wrong direction and sought help. Now, he is poised to return to TV with Comedy Circus.

What’s interesting here is that both, Kapil and Sidharth, are comedians whose job is to make people laugh! That raises the question whether the pressure of always being funny, and living up to people’s expectations takes a toll on them. We spoke to a few popular comedians for their take on it.

Comic Acts Need Constant Reinvention    

Ali Asgar, who has been in the industry for 35 years but became a household name with his act as Dadi on Kapil’s show, says, “There is definitely a pressure to make people laugh. It’s not like a song ki hit ho gaya aur wohi gaana sab jagah gao. In comedy, you have to create something new and different each and every time. Maine agar ek Saturday perform kiya, and it becomes a hit, I can’t do the same thing again! Even if the audience accepts your character, it comes with an expiry date. No matter how iconic it has been, stale ho hi jaata hai.”

He cites the example of Dadi that he played for three years in Comedy Nights With Kapil, which was a big hit, but the same magic couldn’t be recreated with Nani on The Kapil Sharma Show. “Everything that could be done with an old lady’s character I did as Dadi — Shagun ki pappi, her love for drinking, etc. There was nothing new that I could do as Nani and frankly, I didn’t want to play her. I wanted to be Kapil’s bhabhi, but everyone felt as I had played his Dadi nobody would accept me as his bhabhi,” he reveals.   

Comedians Cannot Be Funny 24/7 

According to Sidharth, people have the notion that comedians are a happy lot in real life. He says, “Many comedians are serious in real life or they are going through something, like Jim Carrey, who is suffering from bipolar disorder. Then there was Robbie Williams, who committed suicide due to depression.”

Sidharth says, “It is the personal tragedies and problems that comedians convert into laughter because if they share their problems, nobody will listen, but if it comes out in a funny way, they will. Charlie Chaplin had once said that people, who suppress their happiness the most, make the best comedians.” Another problem, he adds, is that everyone, including family members, expect comedians to be funny all the time. “This happens with all of us.

Though I love making people laugh, there are times when I want to be left alone for four-five hours. Besides, at home there are other things going on, other problems that need to be discussed,” points out Sidharth. 

Ali shares that he has his mood swings and there are days he is off his game. “We are also human beings and we can’t be cracking jokes all the time, but now with social media aapke har mood ko dekha jaata hai, and that adds to the pressure. The best thing is to keep quiet as silence is golden,” he quips.

Becoming A Star Overnight  

Sidharth, who started at the tender age of 13 with Chhote Miyan went on to do Comedy Circus Ke Ajoobe, Comedy Classes and attained popularity before he got into some bad habits that drove him out of control and work. He says, “Hum bahut jaldi kisiko star bana dete hain and when something goes wrong, people pull him down saying he is not able to handle success.” Ask him if that is what happened with Kapil, too, and he says, “I am not close to Kapil but I have worked with him in Comedy Circus Ke Ajoobe and The Kapil Sharma Show. I don’t know what situation he is going through but he never fell short of entertaining people. A person cannot be perfect all the time. He has made some mistakes, but you have to give time to an artiste and I hope woh jaldi se waapis aajaye because unki zaroorat hai.”

High Expectations

Mubeen Saudagar of Comedy Circus and Comedy Nights Bachao fame feels the main reason artistes get affected is the expectations, especially after they reach a certain level. “A crore-plus people want to meet them, talk to them or click pictures. But the artiste is busy with many things like creating content, meeting deadlines, etc. During that time they may inadvertently upset some people who then spread rumours like ‘He has got attitude, he’s moody etc’ and when it goes viral on social media, celebrities are under pressure,” he says. 

Break Toh Banta Hi Hai

Having worked with both Kapil and Siddharth closely, Bharti says that as far as the former is concerned, things went wrong when he started shooting for his film, Firangi, and the show simultaneously. “He had a lot of pressure because it was his own production and his money was invested. He needed a break, and I am glad he has taken it now. He is chilling in Greece with his fiancé Ginni. He is the king of comedy and I am waiting for him to come back and start his show. I will definitely join him,” she smiles.Bharti feels that Sidharth is like a child. “He started out very young, I think kahin na kahin parents should let their children grow first nahi toh bachpan chhoot jaata hai. Then they don’t want toys, but cars. Sidharth is like my younger brother, but since I was busy with my marriage last year I wasn’t aware what happened to him. Now, I am glad he is making a comeback,” she says. Bharti herself is currently on a break as now, she wants to do fewer shows. 

Never Lose The Spirit

While comedians undergo their share of problems, how they handle the pressure depends on their mentality and outlook. As Bharti says, “I am more funny in real life than on reel. I remember when I was playing Lalli, I would think aur main kya karoon. It takes time to invent new characters, and punchlines but an artiste should never lose his spirit,” she signs off.