It`s like coming home: Sunil Grover

Mumbai: Sunil Grover says that re-entering `Comedy Nights With Kapil` is like coming home and collaborating with its host Kapil Sharma was like reuniting with an old friend. The stand-up comedian, who quit the show last year and has made a fresh entry as Bittoo Sharma`s father-in-law, talks at length about his comeback and his new avatar.

Excerpts from the interview: Q: You are back on "Comedy Nights With Kapil"? A: Yes, we recorded my re-entry, if we can call it that, on Wednesday night. I had eaten the auspicious dahi-chini (curd and sugar) before leaving for the shooting. It was like coming home. But of course I was nervous. Q: How did the audience react? A: The audience broke into spontaneous applause. I felt very, very welcomed. Q: How did Kapil welcome you? A: We have been in touch all through the period when I was away from "Comedy Nights With Kapil". He welcomed me very warmly. Rather, I welcomed him, since I reached the set before he did. He came 15 minutes me. When I saw him, I said, "Welcome to `Comedy Nights With Kapil`." We sat together laughing, sharing jokes, chatting in-between shots. Q: This sounds like being too good to be true? A: In fact, it felt as though I had never left the show. The period in-between simply evaporated. I met Kapil like two friends who pick up the threads of their relationship after some time. He was very warm(gets emotional). Kapil is a sensible, decent man. We share a terrific chemistry. The minute we see one another we smile at one another. Q: Why do you feel your re-entry may not be called a re-entry? A: Because I never felt I had gone away. The `Comedy Nights...` team has been and always will be a part of me. I may have gone away for a while. But I was never far away. Q: What would your re-entry be like? A: I`m playing Kapil`s father-in-law, to begin with. We`ll see how the audience reacts to that character and then take it up from there. If you`re hinting at a formal re-introduction, I don`t think that`s needed. How they bring me back into the show is the channel - Colors` call. Q: How do you feel about the show "Mad In India"? A: When I did that show, I didn`t do it with the intention to be one-up on `Comedy Nights With Kapil`. I got the offer after I left `Comedy Nights With Kapil`. I keep saying, `Comedy Nights...` was not and is not a `Gutthi Show` or a Sunil Grover Show. I am part of an ensemble cast. The show existed before me. It will go on after me. Q: Why do you think "Mad In India" failed? A: There are many reasons why a show fails. I worked hard on the show. But no point in brooding over the it. It`s time to move on. Q: How much time will you devote to "Comedy Nights..."? A: I am now fully into the show. It will take up a lot of my time. And if Gutthi comes back, it will be even more time-consuming. She is a very demanding girl.I tell you!