Comedian and actor Kapil Sharma is set to entertain audiences once again with his upcoming film Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2. The movie marks the directorial debut of writer Anukalp Goswami and serves as the much-awaited sequel to the 2015 hit Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon. Also starring Hira Warina, Tridha Choudhury, Parul Gulati and Ayesha Khan in key roles, the film is scheduled to release in cinemas on December 12.
Anukalp Goswami calls Kapil Sharma the SRK of comedy.
In an exclusive conversation with Hindustan Times, Anukalp Goswami spoke about how Kapil Sharma recognised the filmmaker in him and encouraged him to step in as director. He even referred to Kapil as the “Shah Rukh Khan of comedy”. He assured that Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2 does not hurt anyone’s sentiments, despite revolving around a man married to four women from different religions.
On making his directorial debut and why the sequel took 10 years
Anukalp shared the reason behind the 10-year gap for the sequel and said, “The first part was a massive hit, and we wanted the next one to exceed that. We were waiting for a good story to strike my mind. We even had an idea, but got busy with other projects, Sony’s second and third season and then Kapil Sharma’s show shifted to Netflix. When we were on Kapil’s US–Canada tour, that’s when it struck us: let’s make this. I narrated the subject to Kapil, and he loved it. He said, ‘The way you’re presenting it, you should direct it.’ For me, it was amazing yet challenging. I told Abbas–Mastan sir, and they were very happy. They assured me that the whole team is with me and said, ‘You make it, it’s a great idea.’”
The idea behind Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2
The filmmaker revealed that the idea of the film came from his imagination and said, “In real life, only one or two situations like this happen, this is larger-than-life cinema because we bring something different from imagination. The story is about a man stuck in four marriages. So this time, we took four different religions and made it bigger. It was unique and also the biggest challenge. It’s not like I saw a person like this in real life. It was purely my imagination, what would happen if someone was stuck in such a situation?”
Casting process of Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2
Many called out the makers for doing casting through Instagram after the trailer was released. However, Anukalp clarified, “When you need four female actors for a film — whether it’s from a big production house or a superstar’s film — it’s always difficult to cast four heroines. How much screen space can you give them? But in this film, every heroine has her own role and space. We didn’t look at Instagram followers during casting. We had a Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Christian character, so we wanted actors who justified those roles. That was our criteria.”
Anukalp Goswami wanted to be a hero
Talking about his journey, Anukalp revealed, “I used to do theatre in Jaipur, perform, write and even direct. I was mentally prepared that whatever first break I got in Mumbai, I’d do it with full commitment. I am an actor too, but I got my first break in writing. After that, I kept writing, and the actor in me helped during script narration. Wherever I narrated a script, it got selected.”
From writer to director
Ankalp spoke about his journey from a writer to a director and said, “I always wanted to direct. But I came from Jaipur and had no godfather in Mumbai. To get the work you want, you have to win people’s trust. I joined Kapil as a writer; he liked my writing, but for him to trust that I could also present what I imagined — that took time. There’s a saying: even your own family takes time to understand you, so in a city like Mumbai, meeting your true self also takes a long time.”
He added: “Kapil saw the director in me, that’s why it took time. I always wished to see my name on the screen as a writer and director. Finally, my dream has come true. I hope people like the film.”
On working with Kapil Sharma
Kapil and Anukalp are not a new pair. Anukalp has worked with Kapil for several years. He used to write for his comedy show on Sony and then even for The Great Indian Kapil Show on Netflix. He penned the story for Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon in 2015 too. Talking about working with Kapil and his evolution, the filmmaker said, “Kapil Sharma’s best quality is his innocence. When you do comedy and crack a joke about someone, people often get offended. But with Kapil, people laugh and enjoy it. He has this charisma — it’s god-gifted. If he cracks a joke about someone, that person laughs too. A lot of people do stand-up comedy, but some have blessings, they make you genuinely laugh.”
He added that Kapil never showed starry tantrums to him or anyone else and said, “We come from a humble family. He’s a man of the heart. On stage, he wears stylish clothes and has his entourage, but when you meet him personally, you realise how genuine he is, how much warmth he has. He is like a son to every mother and a friend to every friend. He has never shown tantrums to me or anyone, despite his achievements.”
Pressure for the sequel
Anukalp admitted that there was pressure about making a sequel and added, “but I wrote the first film as well, so I knew what the audience wanted. When the first one became successful, I thought that if I used the same punchlines again, the audience would find it repetitive. So we changed the whole world of the film. The comedy will be very entertaining. I have written it very thoughtfully and carefully. I’ve been writing for television for 15 years, and I know the standards and practices. We were careful not to hurt sentiments. Since the film revolves around religion, we were sensitive.”
He added, “The biggest thing is that if this film is not made in India, then it cannot be made anywhere in the world. In India we live together and celebrate each other’s festivals. So I took this challenge. No matter how sensitive the atmosphere is, India is India — our humour should not be lost.”
On Shreya Ghoshal calling Kapil Sharma the SRK of comedy
Recently, Shreya Ghoshal shared a picture with Kapil from the sets of Indian Idol 16 on her Instagram story and called Kapil ‘SRK of comedy’. Anukalp agreed to Shreya’s thoughts and added, “Kapil is really the SRK of comedy. He has made comedy huge. He started as a stand-up comedian, but he elevated it so much that he received immense love. So yes, Kapil is a superstar in comedy.
Shah Rukh Khan came from television and became a megastar. It is the same with Kapil, he has come forward from comedy, and now the whole way is open for him.”
Similarities between Jamie and Johnny
Anukalp Goswami has written dialogues for Johnny Lever and now he has directed his daughter Jamie in the movie, Talking about the similarities in them, he said, “They both have amazing energy. They can take a scene to the next level. They never miss their energy or comic timing. They bring life to every scene. There’s not much difference between them. We all idolise Johnny ji. He is like my godfather; he loves everyone. I am blessed to get the opportunity to work with his daughter, Jamie, too. She is very talented, and you’ll see more surprises from her in the film.”