31 March,2017 06:13 AM IST | | Sonil Dedhia
BARC's weekly show ratings indicate audience reaction to comedian Kapil Sharma's mid-air rant; show may slip further once episodes air minus Sunil Grover and Ali Asgar
After being abandoned by his talented team of comedians following a mid-flight argument on March 16, there is chatter about Kapil Sharma's ability to helm the once hugely popular comedy sketch show. A marked decline in the humour quotient was cited as reason for dip in quality, but a boy-next-door growing too big for his boots might also be the case. Now, a weekly report from Broadcast Audience Research Council [BARC], which helps analyse TRP of serials, has given credence to these voices.
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The BARC week 12 report that included audience response to the March 18 and 19 episodes revealed that 'The Kapil Sharma Show' has plummeted to the 11th spot from an enviable No 5 just a few days after news of the brawl broke.
Interestingly, both episodes featured the original cast including Sunil Grover, Chandan Prabhakar and Ali Asgar, given that they had been filmed in advance. But, sources say bad press seems to have taken a toll on the ratings.
While news of the steep plunge may baffle the audience, industry insiders aren't confounded by the development. "Controversies always have an immediate ripple effect on a celebrity and his work," says Aastish Kapadia, writer and producer of hit comedy shows Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, Khichdi and Baa Bahu Aur Baby. But he doesn't agree that the content has taken a beating. "The show is still going on since the content is good," he thinks.
Also read: 'Peacemaker' Raju Srivastav confirms he may be part of 'The Kapil Sharma Show'
A television producer, requesting anonymity, tells mid-day, "Kapil has a massive fan following but the incident has dented his image although he apologised [for it]. But, I am sure he will find a way to win his audience back." Kapil had tweeted to Sunil, "sorry if I hurt you unintentionally", to which Sunil had said, "Yes, you hurt me deeply. You are the wittiest and best in your field, but don't act like God".
Leading ad film director Prahlad Kakkar doesn't believe the comic dictates the life of the masses despite his huge fan following. "He is a small-time player, just a comedian. No one takes him seriously," he says, pointing out that following his alleged involvement in a road accident, actor Salman Khan had won the hearts of his fans again, thanks to his philanthropic work.
"Salman has done a lot of work for strangers. People owe him for that. What do they owe Kapil? He is trying to gain some mileage from this drama."
