This television star once survived on just Rs 500 per month; now charges Rs 5 crore per episode
Not long ago, comedians in India were largely limited to being supporting actors in films, or doing stage shows or the odd sitcom. That is how it existed for the majority of the 20th century. Television reality shows and variety shows changed it as the 21st century approached. Suddenly, comedians could do a lot more, including headlining their own shows and films.
The comedy star who rose from Rs 500 to Rs 5 crore
Kapil Sharma is perhaps the best example of this proliferation of comedy. Born in 1981, Kapil lost his father to cancer when he was just 16. Kapil began working to support his family, earning Rs 500 as his first salary while working in a telephone booth in his hometown Amritsar. After school, Kapil ventured into theatre during his college days and that is where his flair for comedy came to the fore. He participated in the Great Indian Laughter Challenge season 3 in 2007 as a 26-year-old and emerged as the winner. From then on, he never looked back, eventually hosting his own TV show Comedy Nights With Kapil from 2013. In 2016, the show moved TV channels and was rechristened The Kapil Sharma Show. For the latest iteration of his show The Great Indian Kapil Show, the comedian reportedly charges Rs 5 crore per episode, a marked improvement over his first salary just 27 years ago.
Kapil Sharma’s global reach
For a decade, Kapil Sharma’s two shows dominated the TV ratings on both channels they were on – Sony TV and Colors. But his reach was limited to wherever the channels aired, and a few other overseas territories. Earlier this year, for the first time in his career, Kapil ditched television and moved his show – with the same cast – to Netflix. The Great Indian Kapil Show streams on Netflix in weekly episodes, and this way, it reaches out to 192 countries across the world, making his reach the highest among all Indian variety shows. Prior to this, Kapil has hosted a comedy special on Netflix as well.
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 "A young Kapil Sharma")
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