Comedy Nights With Kapil going off air…a publicity gimmick?

One show which has caught the fancy of the masses. One show which has bridged the gap between small screen and Bollywood considerably. One show which has earned a cult status.

And when the news of such a high profile show going off air hits headlines, noises are meant to fill the corridors.

Yes, we are talking about Colors’ Comedy Nights With Kapil (SOL/K9 Productions). Couple of days ago media frantically reported about the series going off air. Our reporters too dipped their pens in ink, all ready to flash out the news. But then we held on to our horses. Better senses prevailed. We decided to analyse the development, the situation and then come up with an observation.

Now, this is how the fire started.

Host Kapil Sharma tweeted on 15 June:

“Comedy nights is going off air from september.. V will come back with new characters n new set.. Till den.. Keep smiling ”

This one was definitely a shocker for all Kapil Sharma and Comedy Nights fans. But a day later came another tweet from the man of laughs.

“Been thinking of Comedy nights new set,characters & a mini break .. will consult with the channel n decide soon Don’t worry be happy”

Hmm…on putting on the magnifying glass, one can read a lot between the two tweets.

As reported by us, Kapil has been intending to make the show once a week.

Reason? He has three films in his kitty and he is battling time and creativity to churn out two episodes in a week.

“See, it’s a natural progression. Kapil has seen immense success with Comedy Nights and now he is aiming to make it big in the world of 70mm. But the only glitch is that Colors is in no mood to budge. Comedy Nights is a successful show for them and they want to get it going twice a week,” said an industry insider.

It seems that Kapil, gripped by a moment of frustration, typed the first tweet, but with the channel intervening, he must have shot the second tweet.

And the entire development has left the show’s other cast members baffled.

“After hearing the news I approached the production team and they assured me that no such development would take place,” said Upasana Singh best known as Kapil’s bua.

Kiku Sharda (Palak) stated, “It’s a rumour. No meat to it.”

Ali Asgar, who essays the role of Kapil’s dadi averred, “We haven’t been informed from the channel or the production house on any such change.” Whereas Kapil’s on-screen wife Sumona Chakravarti remained clueless about the scenario.

Now why would Kapil decide on a fate of a show without consulting the channel or his fellow actors? Rather strange, it would seem.

As of now, it is clear that Comedy Nights With Kapil is not going off air. The show might opt for a brief hiatus to only get back in the near future, but that again is not decided yet.

So fans out there, you all can laugh easy!!!

Wait…hold on… there is another angle to the story.

Says an industry expert: “I feel it’s all a well co-ordinated and timely placed publicity gimmick from the channel’s side. This is not something that has happened for the first time. Go back in time you will see many such similar instances. We keep hearing stories of actor replacements, shows going off air, but nothing of that sort actually happen. It’s all a publicity stunt. And it’s indeed laudable with the manner in which all the hype was created via a single tweet. Colors has slipped a bit in the ratings chart and if publicity helps them in surging ahead, there’s nothing wrong in it.”

Hmm…what is wrong and what is right is for the readers to decide. We are no judge. We are mere harbingers of information.

When we buzzed a channel spokesperson and asked about the gimmick part, we received a response stating: “The show is not going off air for sure and nothing is a publicity gimmick. It is all a figment of imagination.”

Kapil, as usual, remained unavailable.

Well, we shall keep a keen eye on further developments. The show has always been in news for its both on screen and off screen happenings. The set turning into ashes, Sunil Grover aka Gutthi parting ways, integration issues…all in all, the reference of Comedy Nights With Kapil will always pop up whenever one would discuss about Indian television.

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.