'You are making a mistake': This comedian convinced makers to give rejected Kapil Sharma a chance at The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. But his request came at a personal cost

Comedian Chandan Prabhakar has long been admired for his impeccable comic timing, earning audiences' affection through his memorable appearances alongside Kapil Sharma. However, long before they became household names, the two friends experienced a defining moment that shaped their careers. In a recent interview, Chandan looked back at the auditions for The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, revealing that although he was selected, Kapil Sharma was initially turned down. Believing the show's makers had overlooked extraordinary talent, Chandan and fellow comedian Rajeev Thakur repeatedly urged them to reconsider their decision—a gesture that eventually came with an unexpected personal consequence.

Why Kapil Sharma deserved another chance

Chandan Prabhakar recently shared his thoughts on the matter while speaking on the LPU DSW YouTube channel. The 41-year-old revealed that both he and fellow comedian Rajeev Thakur had successfully cleared the auditions for The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, whereas Kapil Sharma had failed to make the initial cut. Since the trio shared a close friendship, both Chandan and Rajeev found it difficult to accept that someone they believed possessed exceptional comic talent had been overlooked by the show's makers.

According to Chandan, Kapil's first setback came during the Punjab auditions, following which he decided to try his luck again in Delhi. Although Chandan already had a professional commitment lined up, he eventually accompanied Kapil for the fresh audition after being persuaded by his friend. While Kapil appeared before the judges, Chandan spent hours waiting outside. Even though Kapil felt confident about his performance afterwards, another call from the production team failed to arrive.

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How Chandan Prabhakar stood by Kapil Sharma

After Chandan and Rajeev officially joined the show, they continued making repeated appeals to the assistant directors, insisting that Kapil deserved another opportunity. During rehearsals, they consistently maintained that the programme had ignored one of the finest talents and encouraged the team to reconsider its decision. However, they were repeatedly advised to focus on their own performances instead of interfering with the selection process.

Their persistence eventually produced the desired result when the makers finally agreed to bring Kapil Sharma on board. However, the decision also led to an unexpected twist for Chandan. While Kapil was informed that he had been selected, Chandan was simultaneously told that his own journey on the show had come to an end, forcing him to leave as Rajeev Thakur and Kapil continued with the competition.

From engineering back to comedy

Following his exit, Chandan briefly returned to his engineering profession before deciding that a conventional career was not where his passion lay. A qualified mechanical engineer, he revealed that he had even worked at a software engineering company for a short period. Realising that his true calling was in entertainment, he soon left the corporate world behind and resumed pursuing opportunities in comedy and acting. Chandan was recently seen in one of the episodes of India’s Got Latent season 2, hosted by Samay Raina.