Kapil Sharma has been hosting his comedy show in various formats and platforms since 2013, and the audience has always been curious about how to be a part of the live audience in the studio, where they can watch the show as it happens and interact with the guests.
In a new interview, actor Vikalp Mehta, who has worked on a few episodes of s show and accompanied him on his US tour, stated that a big portion of the television show`s viewership consists of paid junior artistes.
In an interview with the YTMahendra Podcast`s YouTube channel, Vikalp described how a typical episode is shot in the studio. He explained that there are no retakes because the show runs like a live play, with just breaks in between segments. He explained that the first portion might be Kapil delivering his monologue or engaging in some banter with Archana Puran Singh, and the second could be welcoming and conversing with celebrity visitors. He explained that there is normally a short pause between these two pieces.
Vikalp opened up about the show and its audience
“The audience does not move during the breaks. Alternatively, if the break lasts more than 15 minutes, they are advised they rest. If there is a lunch break, it will last around an hour”, he said. When asked if the audience must pay for their own tickets to appear on the show, Vikalp stated that, as far as he knows, there is no such concept of purchasing tickets for a television show.
“I am not a hundred per cent sure, but as far as I know, no money is charged to be on the show,” he said and added that part of the audience is paid by the makers. “Those are the junior artistes,” he said and added, “For instance, the shoot starts at 10 am, and it will go on till 8 pm or perhaps till 11 pm, so they need the same faces in the audience who can be professional and sit in the same place for these many hours and clap with just as much enthusiasm. They need audiences that will take instructions from them. They pay that audience and fill up the room. It’s the same with most . They are provided with food and water.”
Vikalp revealed they often pay the junior artists to sit for long hours
Vikalp went on to say that while some of the audience members are young artistes, the rest are guests. He stated that “the guests make up 20 percent of the audience.” As if I were on the show, I could call my guests. Or they could have more people in the audience, personal guests.” He further stated that there is no possibility of purchasing tickets to the broadcast show. “There is no idea of paying Rs 500-1000 for a ticket to be on the show,” he explained, adding, “Voh scam hai, vaisa koi hai hi nahi system.” (That is deception. “That system does not exist.)