Mad In India goes the Kapil way

If copying is an art-form then Mad In India, the fledgling stand-up comic show on Star Plus, is on the way to becoming the super-ape of non-fiction. Going by the plummeting TRPs a decision has been taken at the highest level of the production team of Mad In India to copy the format of the popular Comedy Nights With Kapil (Colors). Starting this week the show’s format has been totally revamped. According to a source in the know Mad In India is now being modelled completely on Comedy Nights With Kapil. “They tried to be different, and failed miserably. Now they will follow the same model as Kapil’s show and try to beat the show in its own game,” says a source. Chunky Pandey has been roped in Mad In India to sit in the audience as a sutradhaar. According to the source, Pandey will serve exactly the same role in Mad In India as Navjot Singh Sidhu in Comedy Nights With Kapil. “Chunky will be sitting in the middle of the audience offering interjection and comments on the goings-on on stage. He has been asked to “do a Sidhu”. The q and a session with Manish Paul has been scrapped. In its place Sunil Grover would quiz celebrities dressed as Chukti, ” says the source. Comic actor Krushna Abhishek is being roped in Mad In India to up the laughter quotient. He will join Sunil Grover in the mirth-on ensuring that the humour is spread out across 60 minutes. Interestingly Grover and Abhishek are said to have a history of mutual animosity, though Grover stoutly denies it. Protests Grover, “What are you saying? I’ve never worked directly with Krushna. Why should we be hostile to one another? We are trying to improve the humour on Mad In India. For this to happen we need to stop talking and start acting. There is too much verbiage and very little humour right now.” Not the least ruffled by the negative responses to his show Sunil Grover says, “I keep hearing all sorts rumours about myself. I even heard ‘Gutthi Returns To Comedy Nights With Kapil.’ My career as an independent comic artiste may or may not work. But I am very sure I’ll never return to the show that I gave up to pursue my dreams.”