Kapil Sharma Gets Candid: How TV Made Him "Lazy" and Why He Misses the Grind

You know, it’s always fascinating when celebrities pull back the curtain and share something truly personal. And that’s exactly what Kapil Sharma, our beloved comedy king, did recently on Maniesh Paul's podcast. He got incredibly candid, admitting something many of us might find surprising: he believes television work has, in a way, made him lazy.

It’s a really interesting thought, isn't it? Here's a man at the pinnacle of his career, and he's openly reflecting on how the very platform that brought him immense success might have softened his edge. He didn't mince words, even using a very relatable Hindi phrase to describe it: "baitha bhi sofa pe hota hai, ek dhele ki mehnat nahin hoti." Essentially, he’s saying he just sits on a sofa, and there’s hardly any effort involved.

This admission, for me at least, truly highlights the stark contrast between his early days and his current, rather comfortable, routine. Think back to his Laughter Challenge era, or even before that. Kapil painted a vivid picture of the sheer hustle involved: waking up, getting ready, flagging down an auto-rickshaw, heading to some auditorium, meeting a crowd of fifty people, performing his heart out, and then, crucially, waiting anxiously for their immediate, unvarnished reaction. That was a raw, unfiltered grind, demanding constant energy and adaptability.

Now, compare that to the typical television shoot. It's a highly structured environment, isn't it? As Kapil put it, "the director tells me where to sit, where to look, a teleprompter is there... it's just about delivering the lines." While that takes its own kind of skill, of course, it lacks the spontaneous, almost visceral effort of live performance. There's a safety net, a script, precise directions. The raw, immediate feedback loop from an unpredictable audience isn't quite the same when you’re looking at a teleprompter.

What's truly touching about his confession is that it’s not a complaint. Not even close. Instead, it feels more like a nostalgic longing for the hard work, the sheer effort that built his foundation. He genuinely misses that struggle, that constant push, because he understands its value. That grit, that hunger, it’s what forged him into the Kapil Sharma we know today. And in a world that often chases comfort, his appreciation for the grind is quite refreshing, don’t you think?

He even mentioned that working on films gave him a taste of that demanding schedule again, with 16-17 hour workdays. It seems he truly thrives when he’s pushing himself. It's a reminder that sometimes, too much comfort can make us yearn for the days when we had to really fight for it. As he gears up for his upcoming Netflix special, one can only wonder if he's actively seeking new ways to challenge himself, to bring back that delightful, demanding hustle he fondly remembers.