"I haven't dethroned Johnny lever. I'm merely his pupil." Sunil Pal

In an age where comedy has become a commodity and any Tom, Dick and Harry is trying his hand at it, a certain Sunil Pal has managed to carve name for himself. After winning the inaugural The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, Sunil Pal is delighting audiences on the bigger screen. Here, he talks about his new film and more in an exclusive chat with Mayur Lookhar. What response have you got for your film Journey Bombay to Goa? Thus far it's been tremendous. People have really liked the film and it's being termed as a superhit. My family and friends have appreciated my work, so, I couldn't be happier. But critics haven't appreciated it all that much. Well, I don't have the knowledge as to how they judge a film. Maybe, they didn't understand it properly. Often, the films that they rate high don't succeed at the box-office. However, I wouldn't comment on them. Afterall, they are just doing their job. That's the way they earn their daily bread. Which others films are you doing? Ah..(Thinks)! There are quite a few. Presently, I'm doing a film called 'Ho gayi jo balle balle' It stars Rajpal Yadav, Naveen Prabhakar and Ehsaan Quresho too may join in. I'm playing the character of a hockey player. Unfortunately, that's all I can reveal you now. Sunil Pal - The new comedy King! How do react to it? Laughs! Main koi king nahi hoon, main to bas ek chota kalakaar hoon (I'm not any King, I'm just an ordinary artist. It's the love and affection of the people what I cherish the most. Did you expect to win inaugural Laughter Challenge? Honestly, when I first entered the show, I didn't think I'll win. However, after the initial performance, people pinned me as a favourite. That's when I felt that I really can go all the way. Irrespective of the result, all of us were just glad to get this opportunity to showcase our talent. How long have you been in the industry? I started in 1995. But, it was only in 2005 when Laughter Challenge came my way and I got a chance to show my talent. Why did it take 10 years for the industry to tap your potential? Well, I didn't have any Godfather in the industry. As an outsider, you really have to struggle hard. Also, I felt that I wasn't up to the mark and needed to harness my skills. Well, that's precisely what I did once I came to Mumbai. Was there a monopoly? It's not about monopoly. But then there weren't many good comic artists. There was just couple of good artists who bagged most of the roles. In that case, don't you think they monopolized? As I said before, I don't read too much into this monopoly theory. How is your equation with Johnny Lever? Johnny Lever is my guru. In fact, it's not just Johnny but also his brother, Jimmy Moses, who has always helped me in troubled times. Johnnyji isn't just my guru; he's been like a philosopher to me. Has Sunil Pal dethroned Johnny Lever? Laughs! Are nahi, main to bas unka chela hoon (Not at all. I'm just his pupil). He's on a different pedestal and no one can dethrone him. As a stand-up comedian, I don't think anyone comes as close to Johnnyji. We all have learned from him. Will you stick to just comedy? Well, whatever I am today is because of comedy. However, if there was an opportunity to do something different, I'll be more than willing to attempt it. How's this journey been so far? It definitely is more pleasurable now. I started off as a nobody and today I have the resources to fulfill my family's basic needs. If it wasn't for TGILC, I wouldn't have been here today. I consider myself lucky to have the blessings of my gurus and of course God has been very kind to me. Above all, it's the love and affection of the people that I consider as my greatest achievement.