‘I tell people to have an open mind when it comes to taking a joke’
He has been tickling the funny bone of millions in a career spanning almost two decades, and Kiku Sharda has some valuable advice to share with people on how to take a joke. Over the years, there have been instances when comedians have had to face criticism for their humour. In such a scenario, how careful does one have to be when it comes to comedy?
The actor-comedian takes a slight pause to think, and says, “Obviously, I have been a victim of some (people) not taking a joke well. If someone approaches me in a shopping mall also, and says, ‘I didn’t like that joke you made at a particular time’, I will say sorry at that time. But my only thing is, ‘Aapko uss time pe woh cheez achchi nahin lagi. Aapka kya frame of mind tha ki uss din aapko aisa laga? Main uske liye maafi maang leta hoon’.”
But the FIR and Hatim actor still wants people to be more receptive towards humour. “I tell people to have a more open mindset. If you are going to get hurt by something, somewhere, you are going to make a joke about somebody who is healthier than normal, or crack fat jokes. Aap har country mein dekhenge, woh humour bhi exist karta hai,” adds the 44-year old, who will also be seen in the Irrfanstarrer Angrezi Medium.
Coming to his popular comedy show where he stars alongside Kapil Sharma, Kiku says the content has got filtered over time. He says, “Our show has gone clean over time. It’s very rare when someone goes below the belt, or cracks a vulgar joke.”
If you are going to get hurt by something, somewhere you are going to make a joke about somebody who is [say, overweight].
KIKU SHARDA ACTOR-COMEDIAN