After working alongside Kapil Sharma for more than a decade, actor and comedian Kiku Sharda has offered a glimpse into how The Kapil Sharma Show balances scripting with spontaneity, revealing that the team relies heavily on authentic reactions from celebrity guests while leaving room for improvisation during filming.
In a conversation with Prakhar Gupta, Kiku said the makers intentionally avoid revealing jokes, punchlines or character details to guests before they step onto the stage so that their responses remain natural.
"Very frankly, we want genuine reactions. We don't want the guests to know the punchlines, the jokes, or the characters in advance. We want them to experience those characters for the first time on stage, because that's when we get the most authentic reactions. So now everyone simply goes with the flow."
Explaining the show's creative process, Kiku said every episode begins with a script, but performers often deviate from it depending on how conversations unfold.
"Broadly speaking, there is a script and we do follow it, but only up to a point. Sometimes it's impossible to stick to it because a celebrity takes the conversation in a completely new direction. Sometimes a different thought strikes you in the moment, and you improvise. I'd say it's roughly a 70–30 split: around 70% follows the script, while 30% is completely spontaneous," Kiku added.
Reflecting on his experience of filming with Salman Khan, Kiku said the actor's sense of humour is difficult to anticipate, making every appearance unpredictable.
"With Salman Khan especially, you never know what's going to make him laugh. Sometimes you've planned a line thinking, 'This is going to be hilarious,' and he barely reacts. Then someone says something completely unexpected in the middle, and that's what gets him. Once he starts laughing, he just can't stop. Tears start rolling down his eyes and he's completely gone."
Kiku also praised Kapil Sharma's ability to navigate moments when planned jokes fail to connect with either the guest or the audience, describing his longtime collaborator as someone with an instinctive understanding of live comedy.
"But Kapil Sharma is a master at handling those situations. He has this instinct for knowing when something isn't working. I've always said that sometimes a bit lands beautifully, and sometimes it simply doesn't. When it doesn't, you can't just keep standing there pretending it's working."
He added that Kapil is quick to improvise and smoothly steer the conversation in a new direction whenever a segment falls flat.
"Kapil will immediately step in with something completely off-script. He might say, 'I told you this wouldn't work,' or crack a line that naturally gives the actor an exit. He finds a way to move the show forward without making it feel awkward. He handles those situations beautifully. After 13 years of working together, we've reached a point where we almost know what's going on in each other's heads," Kiku added.
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