Your decision to debut in a comedy didn't surprise anyone...
People have loved me in the comedy space. I've done serious theatre but that didn't get me the kind of audience that I have now. My show has been the number one show for more than two years because of a loyal fan base. So, I thought my first film should be a comedy.
You suffered slip disc while shooting for a dance sequence, right?
Yeah, and imagine, the song is not even in the film! Often, the back dancers would do their steps perfectly and I'd feel terrible because I was seldom able to match their level of dance. Then there were times, when I'd just tell them to do their bit and let me do mine. Irrespective of how bad it is, I'm still the hero (laughs).
Like the film, have you ever faced problems with miscommunication and misinformation?
Yeah, I have but I don't have to lie, unlike my character. Our industry works on the concept of Chinese Whispers. So, I may have said something but what eventually gets communicated is just five percent of what I actually said.
How do you sort out issues then?
Social network zindabad! I reach out to my fans through that. I use other technology to reach out to others at a personal level.
Do you have an example of this?
It was reported that my show is downing shutters because of my high-handedness. How is that possible? I'm the producer of that show apart from being its host.
Similar things were said about your exit from Bankchor.
It was said that I often reported late on sets and so I was kicked out of Bankchor. I wonder how that even happened when the film was not on floors. I left much before. No one checks these facts with us.
How's your equation with Yash Raj Films now?
It's good! We mutually decided to part ways because we could not agree on certain things. We'll work together on a project that suits both of us in the future because there's no bad blood. The best part about this industry is that people don't have ego issues. We forget and move on.
Will stand-up comedy remain the fulcrum of your professional life?
It will be a pivotal part of my life. It will never take a backseat. It has sailed me through the last 11 years of my life. I don't know what will happen with the show though.
It's observed that sometimes, the punches in your show are below the belt...
(Cuts in...) I'm careful I don't go below the belt with my comedy. People have faith in our show. They watch it with the family. I would never breach the trust of 150 crore people who tune in to it every week religiously. Yes, comedy can lead to a lot of naughtiness and crass humour. We edit that out.
It's reported that the slots of your show were changed several times to accommodate other shows, which hampered the ratings.
Slots have not changed drastically. If there were special episodes of shows that air before mine, and they stretched by half an hour, there was little we could do. We spoke to the channel about it because Mondays are working days. People sleep early on Sunday nights and that could have affected ratings. So, now the show starts at 10 pm sharp. We had to cut down on the bi-weekly aspect because I could not handle the show and the film together.
You seem to have gone through a lot of struggle before getting this far. Could you take us through that?
I haven't exactly slept on platforms but I have struggled for 10 years, between 1997 and 2007. My father, a cop with the Punjab police, succumbed to cancer. My brother and I didn't have jobs then. I was offered to fill in for him. I asked my brother to take it up and keep the kitchen running. Usually, parents expect grown-up kids to help them run the show at home. My mother, despite the trying circumstances, never pushed my brother or me to earn. Laughter Challenge changed the course of life for me.
Why do you never speak of this?
Theatre never paid, it extracted money from us. But those days helped me learn a lot. I started observing people around me. And the characters you see on my show are the outcome of those observations. A kid born in the lap of luxury doesn't really do that. For instance, the way people talk in a train while travelling is not the same as an aircraft. Everyone seems to be busy on a laptop with no network on it! Kya karte hain bhagwaan jaane!
Has the struggle ended?
No! It increases as we become popular. Now, the struggle is to maintain the quality of the show. I remember, the initial episodes of the show had bolder comedy and punches than now. Today, I'm careful not to hurt sentiments.
After dating four women in a movie and one on your show, do you plan to take the plunge for real?
All my previous girlfriends left me because they thought yeh vella hai, yeh kya karega. Now, I want to focus on my career before drawing a woman into my life.
