It looks controversies have decided that they will not leave Kapil Sharma alone. This happens to a lot of actors/celebrities after they attain a certain level of stardom. Kapil’s streak started from last year when reports surfaced that he misbehaved with a Marathi actress after being a few pegs down on a cruise-liner in Spain. Singer Mika rushed to the comedian’s rescue reiterating that it was a ‘silly mistake’ and Kapil had only cracked family jokes at the after party. It was a small gathering of celebrities and the matter was quickly forgotten. However, bigger things, or should we say, bigger controversies were knocking at Kapil’s door.
At the end of 2015, the tale of his fall-out from Colors, the channel that aired Comedy Nights with Kapil did the rounds. Stories floated around how he had become too big for his boots. Money was a factor here and fresh details emerged now and then. The inevitable happened and Kapil moved over to Sony. However, the shift proved successful and he came out as an underdog who took on a mega adversary with just his musketeers for support.
It is his latest misadventure that should be a little worrying though. The comedian upset at being asked to shell out a bribe of Rs five lakhs by a BMC official wrote to PM Narendra Modi asking where were his Ache Din. Twitterati hailed him for asking a question that is there on the lips of many citizens of this country for varied reasons. The move backfired as Kapil was charged with illegal construction. What does this mean for the superstar comedian?
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The Amristar-born comedian/singer/host is the perfect example of the aspirational Indian. He is someone who did not give up when the odds were against him and fought his way to success. His journey is characterised by sheer hard work and perseverance. He had no Godfather or relatives to back him. Kapil Sharma is the middle class Indian’s superstar and understandably so. If this backfiring incident had happened with some other celebrity, people would have forgotten it. We feel it might be a little more delicate in Kapil Sharma’s case because he is perceived as an intelligent man. We know a good satirist is aware of what is happening in the nation and his one-liners have reflected it time and again. Will the public give Kapil the benefit of doubt? They might, solely because of the fact that government rules and regulations are Greek to many of us. And he is no developer to know about construction. It is a 50-50 situation. When you reach a certain position, you automatically gain awareness about a number of things that might not be your passion. This is especially true for the middle class that struggles for every paisa earned. The elite might dismiss him as just that another celebrity who spoke out on social media without knowing his actual position. Tales of corruption and flouting of rules are a part of daily life. Do a round-up of 10 news channels and you will find atleast 15-20 reports of corruption is some form or the other. It is across every sphere of society. And Kapil Sharma’s alleged law violation does not have the sleaze angle that makes for juicy gossip.
Will the public forgive his latest controversy? We guess so given the nature of the matter. Will it forget the matter? It is a tough question. Every middle-class man is wary of someone who cheats in some form or the other. We guess Kapil’s redemption might just take some time…
(Also Read: Kapil Sharma has always promoted home-grown talent and here’s proof!)