Kiku Sharda: From Economics Grad to Comedy Star, Making India Laugh Alongside SRK

From unwillingly earning an economics degree to standing in front of the crowds and prompting applause from the audience at every line, the star dazzles after ‘lights, camera, silence, and action’ at the shows. “Talk to my hand” became the new trend, while his quirky braid became a meme. Getting the nation to laugh is not an easy task, and it’s certainly not easy to carve out a niche in the chaotic Bollywood industry. Let’s shed some spotlight on the man who followed his passion and chose to turn his fate into a prolific destiny. Meet Kiku Sharda, the comedian from a Marwari business house, who defied stereotypes and chose to act. While his family resisted him following his creative passion, they never refused to support him. During his TEDx talk, Sharda claimed that his father tried to involve him in his family business with balance sheets and office files. However, the 49-year-old admitted that he wasn’t much interested or ever understood, for that matter (which he still doesn’t), according to the report by Economic Times.While he did work for his father’s company, he titled his job as disguised unemployment as he was tasked to look after stationery or such odd jobs to keep his father satisfied. However, Sharda was fascinated by the world of drama and theatrics from his early school days. My dad used to ask, 'Why do you want to do this? ' But he never stopped me,” Kiku said, adding that he used to receive Rs. 700 per show, which didn’t seem practical.As the dominoes aligned, Sharda got opportunities to work in TV shows that ranged from ‘F.I.R’ to ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil,’ and eventually at ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show.’ Eventually, he worked in many hit films, including ‘Happy New Year,’ where he guest-starred as a dance coach. Moreover, films like ‘Loveyapa,’ ‘Jawaani Jaaneman,’ ‘Angrezi Medium,’ and more also share space in his filmography, and would be featured in the upcoming release ‘Welcome to the Jungle.’ As per the report by Siasat, Sharda has an estimated net worth of Rs. 33 crores to Rs. 40 crores, after being the fan-favorite comedian all over the years. Moreover, he charges Rs. 7 lakhs per episode for ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show.’