Kapil Sharma says he chooses meaningful work so his children feel proud: "I don’t want my kids to feel..."

Kapil Sharma talks about working for kids

• Kapil Sharma reflects on his journey from Amritsar to comedy stardom
• He shares how his father's loss and fame shaped his life and career choices
• Fatherhood inspires Kapil to pursue meaningful work beyond comedy

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Kapil Sharma’s life has unfolded like an emotional rollercoaster, filled with applause, heartbreak, setbacks and second chances.

Long before he became one of India’s most loved comedians, Kapil Sharma was simply a young man from Amritsar with big dreams and an even bigger responsibility after losing his father in 2004. That loss shaped him in ways he still feels today.

When Kapil Sharma won The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Season 3, it should have been a moment of pure celebration. Instead, it was layered with longing.

He told ETimes,“The past never changes. Those who have gone won’t come back. When I won the trophy (The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Season 3) and got a cheque of `10 lakh, I cried thinking… If my father were here today,” he says. Even after his television show turned him into a nightly presence in households across the country, the ache remained. “When my show started, I remember standing quietly outside my house at 9 pm. In every house in the society, TVs were on, and I could hear people’s laughter. I thought to myself, if papa were alive, how happy he’d be. I miss him every day, but some moments hit harder,” he shares.

Fame brought Kapil Sharma immense love, but also intense pressure. At 36, he went through a difficult phase, battling depression and facing public controversies. It was a time that forced him to slow down, reflect and rebuild.

Fatherhood has changed how Kapil Sharma chooses his work. He wants his children to see more than just the laughs. “Sometimes I think that I want to do a certain kind of work so that when my children grow up, they can see that I didn’t just do light or superficial things all my life. Like the film, Zwigato (2022), that I did with Nandita Das, it made my heart feel good. I knew commercially it wouldn’t do anything. But it was a good subject, and I did it because tomorrow when my kids grow up, they shouldn’t feel that their father spent his entire life doing meaningless things – he also did work of substance,” he says.

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Interestingly, Kapil Sharma never set out to become a comedian. “I came here to become a singer. Then somewhere along the way, I thought, let’s become an actor. I did serious roles, then came into comedy almost by accident. An actor always has that hunger – that another side of him should also come out. But our industry, or maybe human nature is such that people see you doing one thing and assume that’s all you can do. Comedy is acting, and honestly, comedy is more difficult,” he says.

Now married to Ginni Chatrath and a proud father to Anayra and Trishaan, Kapil Sharma looks ahead with gratitude. “Life has been long, difficult, fun, messy. Work-wise, I feel blessed. My hobby became my profession. What bigger gift from God can there be? I’m excited about what lies ahead.”