Paresh Rawal is widely regarded as one of the masters of Hindi film comedy, known for his sharp comic timing and unforgettable characters. Although he started his career playing intense and villainous roles, it was his shift to comedy, especially after the cult classic Hera Pheri, that transformed his career. Over the years, he has delivered several memorable performances alongside actors like Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Rajpal Yadav in films such as Phir Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, OMG: Oh My God! and Garam Masala. Most recently, he has been seen in the horror-comedy Bhooth Bangla.
In a recent conversation with Moneycontrol, the actor spoke candidly about the challenges of making comedy films in today’s Bollywood landscape. According to him, creating good comedy is far more difficult than it appears, particularly when it comes to consistently maintaining quality. He explained that audiences often underestimate the effort that goes into writing humour that works across different situations and characters.
Why Paresh Rawal feels The Kapil Sharma Show is a competition to comedy movies?
He shared, "“Abhi when you look at Kapil Sharma Show and when you look at Sunil Grover kind of talent, these guys are bloody huge talent. It is a bloody volcano. Uss comedy ke saath aapko compete karna hai toh aapko soch badalni padegi nahi toh nahi hota hai. Comedy likhna and use maintain karna is very tough. Wahan bhi jo comedy likhi jaati hai unki team hoti hai 10-15 logon ki team hoti hai. Hamare yahan aik writer ko rakhne ka maal nahi hota hai producer ke paas. Toh 15 logon ko kahan se dega," he told us in a video conversation.
( Translation: "Now when you look at Kapil Sharma Show and when you look at Sunil Grover kind of talent, these guys are bloody huge talent. It is a bloody volcano. If you want to compete with that kind of comedy, you have to change your thinking or else it won't work. Writing comedy and maintaining it is very tough. There too, the comedy that's written, they have a team of 10-15 people. Here, producers don't even have the budget to keep one writer. So where will they get 15 people from?")
This lack of resources, he suggested, makes it difficult for films to compete with the consistency and freshness seen on television.
He also stressed that comedy today faces constant competition because television shows deliver humour on a daily basis. Even if the content sometimes goes over the top, Paresh Rawal said, it still sets a benchmark and keeps audiences engaged regularly, something films cannot replicate with their longer production cycles.
Looking back at his early days in Bollywood, the Hera Pheri actor shared that the industry functioned very differently in the past. He recalled that working conditions were often unpredictable, with actors sometimes not having a clear idea of what they were going to perform. Only a few writers, like the legendary duo Salim-Javed, would provide bound scripts, while others operated with far less structure. Compared to that time, he said, the current working environment feels much more organised and enjoyable.
Paresh Rawal's work front
Despite the challenges, Paresh Rawal continues to stay active in the industry. He is currently seen in Bhooth Bangla, directed by Priyadarshan, alongside Akshay Kumar, Tabu and Asrani. The film opened with mixed reviews and managed to cross Rs 95 crore at worldwide box office in just four days. Stay tuned!
In a recent conversation with Moneycontrol, the actor spoke candidly about the challenges of making comedy films in today’s Bollywood landscape. According to him, creating good comedy is far more difficult than it appears, particularly when it comes to consistently maintaining quality. He explained that audiences often underestimate the effort that goes into writing humour that works across different situations and characters.
Why Paresh Rawal feels The Kapil Sharma Show is a competition to comedy movies?
He shared, "“Abhi when you look at Kapil Sharma Show and when you look at Sunil Grover kind of talent, these guys are bloody huge talent. It is a bloody volcano. Uss comedy ke saath aapko compete karna hai toh aapko soch badalni padegi nahi toh nahi hota hai. Comedy likhna and use maintain karna is very tough. Wahan bhi jo comedy likhi jaati hai unki team hoti hai 10-15 logon ki team hoti hai. Hamare yahan aik writer ko rakhne ka maal nahi hota hai producer ke paas. Toh 15 logon ko kahan se dega," he told us in a video conversation.( Translation: "Now when you look at Kapil Sharma Show and when you look at Sunil Grover kind of talent, these guys are bloody huge talent. It is a bloody volcano. If you want to compete with that kind of comedy, you have to change your thinking or else it won't work. Writing comedy and maintaining it is very tough. There too, the comedy that's written, they have a team of 10-15 people. Here, producers don't even have the budget to keep one writer. So where will they get 15 people from?")
This lack of resources, he suggested, makes it difficult for films to compete with the consistency and freshness seen on television.
He also stressed that comedy today faces constant competition because television shows deliver humour on a daily basis. Even if the content sometimes goes over the top, Paresh Rawal said, it still sets a benchmark and keeps audiences engaged regularly, something films cannot replicate with their longer production cycles.
Looking back at his early days in Bollywood, the Hera Pheri actor shared that the industry functioned very differently in the past. He recalled that working conditions were often unpredictable, with actors sometimes not having a clear idea of what they were going to perform. Only a few writers, like the legendary duo Salim-Javed, would provide bound scripts, while others operated with far less structure. Compared to that time, he said, the current working environment feels much more organised and enjoyable.
