Zakir Khan and Kapil Sharma: Whose is really a 'stand-up'?

At the very outset I want to make it clear that the article would seemingly be prejudiced, because it would be taking sides. There are two very prominent names which I’d be discussing. None of them, I’ve encountered personally but through internet and television as a media. I’ve had a liking for both their art, but now the case is different! I’ve made a choice. Maybe easily anticipatable but the reasons for it would be the real interesting ones.

Both of them come from a humble background. Both of them made their way into the comedy industry. The reason why I’d be sticking to the comedy industry and not Television or Bollywood paparazzi is because it gets quite elaborate and shady there! Although I’d be considering Kapil’s entry in on television and further in Bollywood, Zakir bhai’s is a tale of sheer tryst with stand-up comedy. I’d not be discussing much about their personal background but professional ones. Because everyone’s is a different past and a more hopeful present and future. So, it is always conducive to look into one’s professional struggles and not personal ones.

Setting the background right, I’d begin with Kapil Sharma. I’m that guy who used to watch the great Indian laughter challenge fondly. The skinny, funny and Punjabi guy with slight pokerface and hairs curling on forehead was his stature in the show. There are some memes out there which show the then and present photos of Kapil Sharma with a tagline sounding like, ‘Money makes the difference’. Surely it does. He first made the ground for personifying Santa-Banta jokes, the inspector Shamsher, a Punjabi rogue cop, was the one I remember owing to his peculiar voice. Voice modulation until now is a sheer tool for making audience differentiate the character and burst out in laughter. The craft that he did on GILC was purely stand up. Later he signed up with Sony TV for a show called Comedy Circus. They further came up with subsequent versions. From that point in time he started doing sketch comedy. It means that, there would be an actor with a comedian who would give a cue for a punchline. Most of the cues are scripted and also the punchlines. Maybe there are improvisations but the least. Owing to the sketch comedy being received by the audience to greater extent, the TV comedy shows stretched it far and wide. Kapil Sharma came up with his own sketch comedy show on Sony TV which gained thumping viewership and money of course. But with time seemingly, all was not good on the sets and Kapil Sharma got in spat with his co-actor Sunil Grover. The trade of words is still on and some say it is to gather attention and nothing. Amidst all this, Kapil Sharma came up with his own production house and produced a film in which he acted. The film did well for a beginner. He has now come up with a new show on Sony TV itself with a different format and don’t’ know what. There are few reasons why this form of comedy doesn’t stand ground now.

The 'Kapil Sharma'

Courtesy: SET India Youtube channel

 One of the instances are prsent in the above Youtube video. The cue and punchlines as discussed are all scripted. It came to a level that the female actors on the show who used to cue for punchlines were subjected to utterly misogynist and body shaming jokes. To add to that was a ‘casual’ flirting attempt which the live and TV audience loved, because some part of India still loves it! And many don’t, now. Owing to that the viewership might be not that stronger now. The love for web content has empowered the audience and the TV media is diminishing or should diminish in future. The sole reason for it is the feudal and feeble choices and charges of course! That was my take on Kapil Sharma, the TV comedy scene and of course the DTH operators.

Ab yahan se aage sab bhai ki baatein. Aur prejudiced to apan bachpan se hain!! The very reason why Zakir Khan is love is the instantaneous comedy he speaks. The comedy that he narrates is mostly out of his own life’s ups and downs, good and bad times and of course inspiring ones. Outrightly I’d say, Sandeep Maheshwari se acha main Papa preach me more dekh lunga yaar! Because as a Indian you gear up with emotions for work, not with encouraging words! The struggle that he states is in line with what I face, what you might be facing. It is clear and with no blurring lines.

The audience is live and unmanipulated. If the joke doesn’t work the audience is going to judge you. If it works than you’d be applauded! That’s the clear cut stand up comedy scene. Besides from doing classic hindi stand up, bhai shayar hai yaar! The very reason why I started liking shayari was his statement in Jashn-e-Rekhta 2017. Yaar, apan ko guitar-vitar bajane to nahi aaati, isliye apan shayari lihte hain! That hit straight away my heart and head. 

Zakir Khan at Jashn-e-Rekhta

Zakir Khan at Spoken Fest 2017-18

His spoken fest 2018 is an example of why his struggle is for real and he knows to be an egoist without any ego! This is not any promotional blog post. Ye pyar hai bhai ke liye! That’s it. I hope at some point in time Zakir bhai reads it. Thanks for viewing!