The Amritsar-born comedian Kapil Sharma calls his profession crazy and shares much more in a freewheeling chat

After all, wit ought to be Kapil Sharma's middle name. The Amritsar-born comedian calls his profession crazy and shares much more in a freewheeling chat with CS.

Creating a niche
My childhood dream was to become a singer. Since I come from a family that had its share of financial problems, I understood at an early age that there has to be a pragmatic approach towards your dreams in life. Over the years, I've worn so many hats. At one point, I was singing for an album and at another, I was doing comedy on television.


A humour being
I don't really know how I manage to come up with impromptu jokes. But as long as people are laughing, I believe my job is done.

As a comedian, I focus on weaknesses -- be it in myself or in others on whom a joke is targeted at -- because our shortcomings are the best fodder for humour. After all, a comedian can't cheat. A singer can sing his predecessors' songs while a dancer can borrow moves but a comedian has to come up with original material every single time.


The filmi touch
In my ongoing comedy show, I get to play different characters in a theatrical setup. The reason why I wanted a stage to perform various skits is because of my background on stage. I used to work in plays -- earning virtually nothing -- in my younger days.

However, it was an enriching experience. Today, thanks to my exposure, I'm getting offers from films asking for roles I essay in the show like that of a policeman or a doctor. Expecting them to be a bit more imaginative won't be too much to ask for, right? (smiles)


Inspired by life
The other day, Shah Rukh Khan visited our show and one can notice how effortlessly funny he is. What people don't realise is that this thing called 'sense of humour' is a by product of our daily struggles.

He's a superstar today but he used to perform at a Ramlila in Delhi during his early days. Being artistes, our hard work inspires us. As is the case with most other professions, there's no short cut for success.


Mumbai meri jaan
This city is very special to me for a lot of reasons. Whoever first called it the city of dreams was absolutely right. It allows you to grow at your own pace and achieve what you aim for. I bought my first house here.

People don't interfere much in your life and the weather is tolerable here as compared to the north. Of course, I have my issues with it too. The traffic is horrible and the roads are terrible. Crowd isn't as big an issue as littering is though. We can be cleaner.