The world revolves around profit, especially for big businesses like Netflix. So, if you want to criticize Netflix for using your favorite show as a marketing tool, they can’t really be blamed. However, with its strong potential, Netflix seems to be mishandling a show of this caliber.
What’s going on?
If you’ve been following the show, then you already know the deal. The guests on The Great Indian Kapil Show—except for the episode featuring cricketers—are closely associated with Netflix.
Episode 1: Alia Bhatt, Karan Johar, Vedang Raina, and Vasan Bala. These guests are part of the cast of Jigra, a film that struck a deal with Netflix to be its streaming partner.
Episode 2: NTR, Saif Ali Khan, and Janhvi Kapoor. The cast of Devara was the highlight of this episode, which is the most-viewed of the season. Like Jigra, Devara also has Netflix as its OTT partner.
Episode 4: Kareena Kapoor Khan and Karisma Kapoor. While Karisma Kapoor isn’t involved in an active project, Kareena Kapoor’s films Jaane Jaan and The Buckingham Murders are both Netflix releases.
Episode 5: Maheep Kapoor, Bhavana Pandey, Seema Kiran Sajdeh, Neelam Kothari, Shalini Passi, Kalyani Saha Chawla, and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni. The cast of Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives made an appearance, but it’s no secret that audiences have mixed feelings about this show. The are practically tired of that.
Episode 6: Kriti Sanon, Kajol, Shaheer Sheikh, and Kanika Dhillon. The cast of the Netflix original Do Patti was featured, but this episode disappointed many viewers. The jokes felt outdated, as OTT audiences now expect more than just Kapil Sharma’s celebrity guests.
Episode 7: Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, Rajpal Yadav, and Anees Bazmee. Promoting Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, which also has Netflix as its OTT partner, this episode has the potential to compete in views with Episode 2. However, it’s likely to offer more outdated jokes and simple games.
So, can you really blame Netflix? Absolutely not. They’re marketing their own content, which makes sense for an OTT giant. But both Netflix and The Great Indian Kapil Show could benefit from revamping the show’s format. Judging by recent trends, though, they don’t seem very eager to do so.
While the tried-and-tested format succeeded on television, OTT audiences demand something fresh. If the show can’t deliver, the viewership will likely continue to drop.