Shailesh Lodha clarifies he never said he was ‘ashamed’ of The Kapil Sharma Show: ‘I was talking about vulgarity on TV’

Comedian and actor Shailesh Lodha had come under some criticism online earlier this year after an old clip of his surfaced online where he appeared to be targeting The Kapil Sharma Show. The comedian said he was ‘ashamed’ to watch certain vulgar shows and then described the content, which sounded similar to the characters and gags of Kapil Sharma’s show. Now, Shailesh has defended his statement and claimed that it was never for the show. Also read: Kapil Sharma gives hilarious response as Sumona Chakravarti asks him to learn something from Vicky Kaushal. Watch

Shailesh is a poet, comedian, and actor. He is best known for playing the titular role in the popular sitcom Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah. He starred in the show for 14 years before quitting earlier this year.

In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Shailesh said the story about him criticizing Kapil’s show is false. “This story is different. I never said that. I had only said there are shows on TV that are vulgar where a grandmother goes around kissing people. It was about that content. There are many shows like that. I felt there is a better way to do comedy. It was never about a show. People connected it to something else. Kapil and I have performed on stage together,” he said.

The actor added that he was criticizing the genre of ‘vulgar’ comedy shows on TV and not any one show in particular. “There was nothing like that. I was talking about the vulgarity in TV shows that has started to emerge now. I was talking about that. I wasn’t talking about someone personally. I never do that. Kapil is a very good artiste and a friend. It was not about him at all,” he added.

In the old clip, from a kavi sammelan, Shailesh can be heard saying, “Mai kuch karyakram dekhta hu toh mujhe sharam aati hai. Eak dadi jo har vyakti ko chumna chahti hai, ek aisi bua jo shadi ke liye betab hai, eak pati jo apni patni ko pratarit karta hai. Mai uss karyakram mai kaam karta jismai ek beta har baat ke liye apne baap ke pair chuta hai.” (I am ashamed of some shows where a grandmother wants to kiss everyone, an aunt that is desperate for marriage and a husband who humiliates his wife in front of others. I work in a show where a son takes his father’s blessing for any work he does.)”

After Shailesh appeared on The Kapil Sharma Show in January, he was trolled by a section of social media users for appearing on the show after dissing it.