The latest episode of Netflix’s The Great Indian Kapil Sharma Show was a fun-filled finale featuring the talented team from Baby John, including producer Atlee and actors Varun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh, and Wamiqa Gabbi. However, a joke from our favourite host, Kapil Sharma, didn’t quite land as he intended. Some viewers felt he was making fun of Atlee’s appearance, sparking controversy online.
During the episode, Kapil playfully asked Atlee: “You are so young. Aap itne bade producer-director ban gye. Kabhi aapke sath aisa hua hai ki aap kisi star se milne gye first time aur usko laga hi nahi ki aap Atlee ho.” (You’re so young and yet so accomplished as a producer-director! Has there ever been a time when you met a star for the first time and they didn’t realize you were the famous Atlee?)
Atlee responded to the question sharply and wisely, stating: “Sir, in a way, I understood your question. I am actually very thankful to AR Murugadoss because he produced my first film. He asked for the script but he didn’t see how I am looking. Whether I am capable of a hit or not… But, he loved my narration. I think people should see that. By appearance, they should not judge. By heart you’ve to judge.”
Kapil Sharma subtly insults Atlee's looks?
Atlee responds like a boss: Don't judge by appearance, judge by the heart.#Atlee #KapilSharma pic.twitter.com/oSzU0pRDS4---Advertisement---— Surajit (@surajit_ghosh2) December 15, 2024
Here are five incidents when Kapil Sharma passed below-the-belt remarks and got criticized:
1. Sumona Chakravarti
Sumona, who played Kapil’s wife in many episodes, has faced teasing about her lips, which upset her. She shared that Archana Puran Singh comforted her after Kapil made a joke about her appearance during filming. Despite their strong bond on the show, Sumona felt hurt by the mockery, especially when Kapil made a joke about her lips while forgetting his lines.
In a podcast with The Habit Coach, Sumona opened up and said: “The initial days were a little challenging because I remember they made fun of my mouth. They tried it in the very first episode to crack a joke on my mouth, and it didn’t work. It fell flat, and not one soul laughed. Then they dropped it, and eventually, in the other shows, it worked. And I remember I felt really bad.”
2. Former WWE wrestler Saurav Gurjar
In a recent podcast on The Rich YouTube channel, Saurav Gurjar expressed his displeasure with comedian Kapil Sharma for making jokes about him on The Kapil Sharma Show. This started when Kapil used a picture of Saurav with Ranbir Kapoor. Saurav said that Kapil’s jokes were unfair because he used fake fan comments to mock him. Kapil read these comments in a segment called Post Ka Postmortem.
In this episode, Kapil chose a photo of Saurav alongside Ranbir and made a remark that said, “Lagta hai, Ranbir ne nayi gaadi li hai B M BABLU (It looks like Ranbir has purchased a new car: named B M Bablu.).”
3. Rabindranath Tagore Controversy
During his show, comedian Kapil Sharma found himself in legal trouble for allegedly ridiculing Rabindranath Tagore’s legacy. In an episode featuring Kajol and Kriti Sanon, who were there to promote their film, Do Patti, Krushna Abhishek performed a spoof by altering the well-known song Ekla Chalo Re to “Paachla Chalo Re” (Go with five people).
Krushna remarked, “Akela nahi chalne ka. Ek din main akela chal raha tha aur paanch kutte mere piche padd gaye. Main jaanta hoon maine kaise apne aapko bachaya hai (“Don’t go alone. One day, while I was walking alone, five dogs began to chase me. I know how I managed to save myself.” ).” This parody did not resonate well with many members of the Bengali community.
4. Kapil Sharma jokes about pregnant women
According to ETimes, Kapil Sharma landed himself in legal trouble during one of his stand-up performances for making remarks about pregnant women. He said, “going on a pothole-riddled road can help a poor pregnant woman deliver her baby.” An NGO submitted a complaint against the comedian, which was brought to the attention of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women.
5. Kapil Bodyshames Kiku Sharda
It is widely recognized that The Kapil Sharma Show features a significant number of body-shaming jokes, mainly delivered by Kapil himself. As the host, who adeptly plays a variety of characters, he regularly makes bold remarks about his team members’ body shapes and sizes. Kiku Sharda, who effectively takes on the roles of a female nurse and a village woman, often becomes the target of jokes about being overweight. Kapil confidently refers to this character as a “neckless woman.” He consistently makes playful yet pointed comments about his own body size, addressing everything from his neck to his buttocks.
