Abishek Kumar on his Bollywood debut with ‘Kapkapiii’ and life beyond comedy

It started with an audition. They were specifically looking for someone to play a South Indian character in a North Indian setting, as the film is set near Faridabad in Delhi. Initially, the role was written as a Malayali guy living in a bachelor pad with North Indians. But since my Malayalam and Hindi are very average, director Sangeeth Sivan sir and his team were kind enough to adapt the role into a Tamilian who speaks Hindi. I went through two to three rounds of auditions—first virtually, then in Mumbai.

In fact, I went for the audition only after I heard that this was a remake of Romancham. I’m a huge fan of the film and watched it in theatres! There was additional pressure, of course. But it’s a nice pressure to have.

I was extremely nervous, to be honest. In Tamil cinema, I know the people and the language and can have a conversation with anyone on the set. I am in my zone. Here, everything was new. I didn’t speak the language well. I didn’t know the crew and actors personally. I went there, met them, and then became friends. That experience gave me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone. But the whole team—from the cast to the directing crew — made me feel really welcome.

I haven’t used a lot of Hindi in my stand-up because sometimes my Hindi becomes the joke instead of the content! (laughs) My first experience has been great so far. I’m cautiously optimistic about what comes next, and I hope this opens more doors.

To be honest, I just ensure that I relate to the role somehow. As for Kapkapiii, I know that this is a film that has worked really well in Malayalam. So I didn’t think too much as I was excited for my maiden Bollywood film. For a Chennai boy to have gotten an opportunity to work in Bollywood is quite surreal. So, I was not really picky. I was happy that I was doing a film that I was already familiar with. And the fact that the film was directed by Sangeeth Sivan sir, and the star cast included Shreyas Talpade and Tusshar Kapoor, who have done films like Golmaal. So I just wanted to be a part of it.

Not really! For instance, in Kapkapiii, my character is the serious, responsible one in the house—the only breadwinner, very straight-faced, religious, romantic, and calculated. That’s not me at all. I’m fun, chill, and impulsive. But I see myself as an actor first. I started with theatre before I got into stand-up. So humour is not a mandatory criteria that I look for. For example, even in Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam, I didn’t have any jokes. I played a serious character. So, I am open to good characters. When a role has humour, I naturally play to my strengths. But even without it, I can step up as an actor—I don’t rely on comedy to bring a character to life.

Honestly, I don’t think it’s a fair comparison. These are comedians in the film industry who have transitioned into lead actors. They have years of experience under their belt. My journey, on the other hand, has been on the stage. For me, to go from stage to screen itself is a transition. I have always considered myself an actor because of my theater background, but I need to restore the audience's faith that this guy can act on screen as well. Then later, if I get an opportunity, do justice to the lead roles.

It is a coincidence. The first film I did was Oh Manapenne!, a remake of the Telugu film Pelli Choopulu. Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam is inspired by Panchayat, and now Kapkapiii is a remake of Romancham. I don’t go looking for remakes, but these opportunities have come my way. Not many people know that I am an actor. So Thalaivettiyaan Paalayam restored the faith in people that I can act. I hope Kapkapiii also gets accepted for what it is—an honest remake with a few Bollywood elements.

In some way, yes. There are no retakes on stage—you have to deliver in one shot. That spontaneity helps a lot on set too, especially when you need to react on the spot and do some impromptu acting.

Honestly, that’s the toughest part! Stand-up comedians, if you notice, are constantly touring and posting content online. But when I’m shooting a film, I disappear from social media for weeks. But at the same time, I need to stay updated online. Everyone today has a goldfish memory. If you don’t post regularly, you get easily forgotten. But I’m lucky to have an audience that’s patient and trusts my work. My goal is to strike a better balance—delivering quality on both stage and screen.

Nirmal Pillai (stand-up comedian) and I are heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland this July–August. We’ll be performing there for a month. On the acting front, I have two or three scripts I’m currently considering. Nothing is finalised yet.

Hopefully there will be. We’re waiting for a green signal. Fingers crossed.