Chandan Prabhakar on The Great Indian Kapil Show getting a mixed response: The team should focus on audience feedback

It’s been a month since Kapil Sharma’s new show on Netflix, The Great Indian Kapil Show, went live on a streaming giant, and it has been getting mixed responses from fans and audiences. Many felt this was the much-needed comeback for the comedy show, as they missed watching their weekend dose of entertainment. However, a majority section opined that the show has lost its charm, it lacks the fun element, the jokes aren’t as funny, the celebrity interacts too are monotonous, there’s hardly any engagement with live audience. (Also Read | Kapil Sharma ‘is comfortable’ with wicked jokes on him during show, says Kiku Sharda: ‘This is not an easy job’)

We got talking to actor-comedian Chandan Prabhakar, who used to be an integral part of The Kapil Sharma Show when it aired on TV, to weigh in on the response the show is getting now and whether its shift from TV to the OTT space has affected its popularity.

Stating that there’s there is always a rocky road while starting something new, Prabhakar says, “Ab television zone se bahar nikal kar OTT ke liye kuch kar rahe hain, toh ek hesitation bhi rehti hai team main. Whenever we experiment with a show, there’s no guarantee it will work. There’s no formula to making it a success, woh cheezein apne aap ho jaati hain. However, I feel eventually it will start working, but yes, it will take time for sure.”

Here, the 43-year-old stresses that the creative team must take into account all the feedback that people are sharing on social media: “Jo bhi logon ki observations hain about the jokes, team ko zaroor mind main rakhna chahiye as to what people are thinking and saying, kyunki logon ke liye hi show bana rahe hain. And if they don’t get the entertainment they are seeking, then what’s the point?”

Another thing that social media users have pointed towards is the how the makers have gone ahead with the same old format without introducing any new elements, and also, the reduced runtime of the show from one hour to 35 minutes seems to have led to a decline in audience’s interest.

Prabhakar mentions that the show’s old format was tailored specifically for television, expressing doubt that the same formula would seamlessly translate to the OTT landscape. “The old format was for Sony television in which I was also a major part. I don’t think they would be allowed by the channel to take the same format or pattern forward on Netflix as well. Moreover, the team also wanted to do something new and fresh only I think. So kuch minor changes toh kiye hain but maybe they aren’t that evident,” he says, sounding optimistic about the show’s future and hoping that the team will overcome the current challenges with time.

“When I also used to work with the team, in the beginning things used to feel very normal and maybe average, but they felt funnier after a few episodes. Woh ek flow ban jaata hai fir. So, I’m sure with time, they will overcome this problem, too,” he states, adding that he has no plans of returning to The Great Kapil Sharma Show anytime soon.

“I have signed something good which will be announced soon, that was the reason why I took a break from Kapil’s show. I wanted to break that zone, because you get tagged for one thing, your energy doesn’t get other channels. I am doing what I always wanted to do in life,” he concludes.