Comedian says marriage and comeback show helped him rebuild life
February 11, 2026: Actor and comedian Kapil Sharma has spoken candidly about the most challenging phases of his life, revealing that depression hit him hard at the age of 36. In an interview with ETimes, Kapil reflected on how his father’s death in 2004 derailed him emotionally. “Life went completely off track,” he said, adding that he eventually found his footing again through television. However, another low phase followed years later when, as he put it, “people started saying, ‘He’s finished.’” Kapil shared that marriage to Ginni Chatrath marked a turning point, after which his show returned and he went on to complete over 300 episodes.
The comedian also became emotional while recalling his late father. When he won The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Season 3 and received a cheque of ₹10 lakh, Kapil said he broke down wishing his father had been there to witness the moment. He remembered standing outside his house at 9 pm when his show first aired, hearing laughter from televisions across the neighbourhood. “If Papa were alive, how happy he’d be,” he said, adding that he misses him every day.
Kapil, who currently hosts The Great Indian Kapil Show on Netflix, also dismissed speculation about a biopic on his life, saying it feels premature. Originally moving to Mumbai from Amritsar to pursue singing, he said comedy happened unexpectedly. After winning Comedy Circus, he launched Comedy Nights with Kapil under K9 Productions and later made his Bollywood debut with Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon. He has since appeared in films like Firangi, Zwigato and Crew.