Comedian Kapil Sharma in deep trouble

Daliya Ghose

It seems time is not in favor of comedian and producer Kapil Sharma who runs the show ‘Comedy Nights With Kapil’. Earlier he was in trouble as one of the most popular characters of the show ‘Gutthi’ left the show over payment terms. No sooner Kapil learnt to run the show without ‘Gutthi’ that he has again found himself in a soup after cracking a joke about ‘pregnant woman’.

Kapil has attracted wrath from activists and social workers for cracking a joke on pregnant women. Kapil has received a notice from The Maharashtra State Women’s Commission. A notice has also been issued for the channel on which the show is run. The Maharashtra State Women’s Commission has asked for an explanation and has also summoned them for a hearing.

During one of the recent episodes of ‘Comedy Nights With Kapil’ which was aired on 5th January, Kapil cracked a joke about pregnant woman delivering a baby on potholed road while commuting. The joke was not received in the right spirit and was considered insulting and derogatory by women activists.

The two NGOs viz. Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan and Kaydeshir Wagne on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission. They demanded a legal action on the comedian and the channel. “We have sent the producers a legal notice demanding an explanation. They are expected to reply within 15 days”, said Susiben Shah, chairperson of the commission. Apart from the joke on pregnant woman, the activist groups also objected the portrayal of two women characters on the show.

Susiben Shah further said, “The two characters of ‘daadi’ and ‘bua’ were also found to be objectionable. The ‘daadi’ is shown drunk. That is not how our ‘daadis’ are.”

Several TV actors have also voiced their opinion on the joke cracked by Kapil. Kanika Maheshwari from ‘Diya Aur Baati Hum’ doesn’t find it humorous. She said, “Many times, such jokes are hurtful. Once, on ‘Nach Baliye’, Bharti Singh (stand-up comic) had compared Bruna Abudullah (actor) and her boyfriend Omar Farooque to a rikshawala who got the keys to a Mercedes. Though people laughed on the sets, I felt it wasn’t in good taste.”

On the other hand, a fan of the show, Ira Shah, a 19 years old student said, “I have read about incidents where people have delivered in an auto or a train, so what’s the big deal about this joke?”