Key Points:
Vikalp Mehta revealed that most audience members in Kapil Sharma's Show are junior artists.
Mehta explained that the show is shot in multiple segments without retakes, with breaks in between.
About 20% of the audience may consist of personal guests.
The Kapil Sharma Show has been a part of every household for years. The show has aired on multiple channels, from Colors TV to Sony, before finally finding a foothold on OTT platform, Netflix.
The unique selling point of this fan-favourite show has remained constant: quirky yet relatable comical skits and guest appearances. Although, one constant mystery that still lingers is how to become a part of the live audience.
In a recent podcast interview with the YT Mahendra Podcast, premiered on 7 September 2025, popular mimicry artist of Akshay Kumar, Vikalp Mehta, spilled the secrets about the reality behind the Kapil Sharma Show audience.
He said during the podcast that the audience members in his show are actually junior artists who get paid to sit and clap.
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Vikalp Mehta began by explaining how a typical episode of the Kapil Sharma Show unfolds, pointing to the hours of hard work that go into each episode. He shared that the shooting has no retakes, comparing it to a stage show.
Mehta stated that the show is divided into multiple segments, and at the end of each segment, there is a break. “Like in the first segment, Kapil Sharma gives his solo monologue or he might be chatting with Archana ji or cracking jokes about something. Then there will be a cut,” said Mehta.
He further added that there is a short break after each segment, such as welcoming the guests or comedy skits.
Vikalp Mehta said during the podcast, “Alternatively, if the break lasts more than 15 minutes, they are advised they rest. If there is a lunch break, it will last around an hour."
The host then asked Vikalp about the process behind the ticketing system for the audience. Mehta responded that, to his knowledge, there is no ticket system for the audience members.
He claimed that no money or ticket is involved in becoming a part of the Kapil Sharma Show audience. They hire junior artists who are professional enough to remain in their pre-determined seats and avoid moving around during prolonged shoots that sometimes last hours.
“For instance, the shoot starts at 10 am, and it will go on till 8 pm or perhaps till 11 pm, so they need the same faces in the audience who can be professional and sit in the same place for these many hours and clap with just as much enthusiasm,” said Mehta.
He shared that most TV shows follow this routine, where the production hires or pays the audience, who then follow instructions. He said, “They need audiences that will take instructions from them. They pay that audience and fill up the room. It’s the same with most TV shows. They are provided with food and water.”
Other than the young artists who are hired, 20% of the audience can consist of guests. He said, “As if I were on the show, I could call my guests. Or they could have more people in the audience, personal guests.” Vikalp Mehta stated that there is no system of paying Rs 500 or Rs 1000 to buy seats for the show in his knowledge. “Wo fraud hai, waha hai he nahi aisa kuch system (That is deception. That system does not exist.)”
Mimicry artist Vikalp Mehta got his big break for his popular act mimicking Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar on the Kapil Sharma Show. He auditioned for Comedy Circus in 2012, and the writers of the show at the time saw him as their “go-to guy” for Akshay Kumar’s mimicry. He said during the podcast that he achieved his breakthrough when he performed a 7–8 minute solo act in the show in 2023. [Rh/VS]
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