The Great Indian Kapil Show episode 8 first impression: Ed Sheeran gets a crash course in desi humour

Given the traditional tone of this humour, Kapil Sharma appeared concerned about its reception, often hiding his face in embarrassment after each joke. While I braced for second-hand embarrassment too, Ed Sheeran’s reactions elevated the entire experience. He not only enjoyed the jokes but fully participated in the banter. Unlike some stars who find such “middle-class” humour uncomfortable on Kapil’s show, Ed was completely at ease with it and even shared a personal experience related to the jet spray.

Though Ed deserves full marks for his participation, Kapil and his team also merit credit for successfully integrating an international star—accustomed to the format of Late Night Shows — into a truly desi setting. For instance, when Krushna Abhishek appeared as the character Mona, he got Ed to dance to some desi moves and even cracked a poor joke about Taylor Swift being a “tailor”. It wasn’t world-class humour but he pulled it off seamlessly in the moment.

While Ed Sheeran brought music to Kapil Sharma’s show, even giving an impromptu performance of Raj Kapoor’s “Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai” with Kapil, Sunil Grover added a touch of magic. He appeared as Diamond Raja, the snooty, potbellied owner of an orchestra band, accompanied by Kiku Sharda as his cotton candy-like sweet girlfriend.

Sunil is the backbone of Kapil’s show, adding credibility to its carefree vibe. Despite appearing for just a few minutes in the 50-minute episode, his spot-on portrayal of Diamond Raja left the audience craving more. Imagine him in a film as this character — pure gold! One hilarious moment had Ed Sheeran asking him for his sunglasses and Sunil coolly responded, “Expensive, it is.” This didn’t stop the singer from asking for his bedazzling jacket and turning himself into one of Sunil’s characters. The writing, however, dipped a bit towards the end of this skit, but Ed, being a sport, picked up his guitar and sang in Marwadi, following Sunil’s lead. It was truly a moment!

The show ended with Kapil Sharma thanking Ed Sheeran for his support and Ed calling it the most “fun and craziest show” he had ever been on. Where else would he find men cross-dressing, cracking the lamest jokes, and still managing to strike a chord with the audience? Catch The Great Indian Kapil Show on Netflix.