Comedy on television in India has a rich and entertaining history. Right from the mid-80s when we had the refreshing Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, a brilliant rendition of witty, clean, entertaining chops based on the lives of Ranjit Verma, his wife Renu and Raja, her younger brother.

Some of the popular shows that entertained India include Hum Paanch where Anand Mathur, a middle-class worker, kept getting into trouble because of his five daughters; Sarabhai vs Sarabhai storied the upper-class Gujarati family; Khichdi dissected the dysfunctional Gujarati family; Tu Tu Main Main from the Star stable highlighted in a humourous vein the bickering saas-bahu relationship; Office Office on SAB took on corruption and bribery existing in public office; MTV Bakra with Cyrus Broacha, inspired by the hidden camera in Candid Camera made bakras of regular people; Dekh Bhai Dekh examined three generations of the Diwan extended family living together in an ancestral bungalow; Nukkad was based on the local street community; Flop Show showcased the sociocultural problems encountered by the common man; Doordarshan played Shrimaan Shrimati, the story of two neighbours attempting to flirt with each other’s wives; DD Metro’s Zabaan Sambhal Ke based on the English Mind Your Language was a super-hit; and many more.

Establishing stand-up comedy in 2005, Star One brought India’s first and amongst the most successful stand-up comedy shows on television, for four seasons, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. The Great Indian Laughter Champions followed the first two seasons with top performers of the earlier shows. Kapil Sharma won in The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’s third season and never looked back.

Comedy King Kapil went on to host on Colors TV the very successful Comedy Nights with Kapil, the Indian comedy and celebrity talk show from mid-2013 to early-2016, winning him a huge fan following with his unique audience connect, great TRPs, advertisers and the 2013 Entertainer of the Year award at the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year Awards. Advertising rates shot up by over 230% from the first show and held on.

Comedy looks far easier to make unless you deem slipping on a banana or using foul language, funny. Touching the audience is tougher but when the balance is achieved, you get a Comedy Nights with Kapil or a Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi which notched higher rankings on DD than Hum Log, its popular soap, and that too, in the mid-80s.

The Kapil-Colors spat shifted the balance. With Kapil wanting to do the show only on Sunday, Colors introduced Comedy Nights Bachao at 10pm on September 9, 2015. Comedy Nights with Kapil played only at 10pm on Sundays till the final show in January 2016. Comedy Nights Live replaced Kapil’s show. Both used formats and colleagues from Kapil’s show with Comedy Nights Live making direct digs at Kapil, something which could eventually repel more people than just Kapil fans.

Sony Entertainment Television did a smart one to hold its place among the top 10 GECs. Bringing Kapil on board with The Kapil Sharma Show for 26 episodes in the Saturday and Sunday 9pm slots and promoting it was a smart move. The pre-launch buzz was huge and Sony’s aggressive attitude to upscale and be successful, very welcome to advertisers.

The comedy wars have continued in hot pursuit with Colors marketing its world premiere of Bajirao Mastani on the same day, same time as the first show of The Kapil Sharma Show!

Kapil’s new show itself has relied on its tried and tested formula instead of innovating and creating differentiation. It is currently relying heavily on the Kapil Sharma brand which very well might take it through, as his comedy-style has made inroads into the minds and hearts of loyal fans.

It has been said that India lacks in humour but this is a highly misguided perception. What people need is thoughtful and meaningful content. With more good shows, the audience will be the beneficiary and advertisers can target their segment. So, more comedy shows by more channels is not doomsday but a great entertainment and advertiser opportunity.

This is a great time for comedy in India. In our fast-paced lives, it’s a break from the mundane. Inspiration is all around — the country and its people can be so much more entertaining than the tried and tested celebrity route. The audience is wider and deeper; youth and women are drawn to comedy — all that is needed is a great story!
And what more will the marketer want other than audiences? Truly a genre to invest in if you need those eyeballs for your brands to sink in.

The author is CEO, Havas Media Group, India & South Asia