The Great Indian Kapil Show seems to be desperately seeking a laugh-out-loud recipe, with the latest episode on Netflix bringing with it a star-studded trio – Saif Ali Khan, Jr. NTR and Janhvi Kapoor – and gags galore. Promoting their film Devara, this North-South blend promises a flavourful experience but ends up serving a bland dish. Let’s break the episode down with some good ol’ Yays and Nays!

YAY

Jr. NTR’s charisma

It’s hard to keep someone as charismatic as Jr. NTR off the fun meter. Whether he’s mimicking Salman Khan’s walk or striking the SRK pose, letting loose with some genuine laughter at Kapil’s (often stale) jokes, or gamely participating in some of the host’s shenanigans (asking a Telugu actor to deliver dialogues in Punjabi is SO passe), NTR keeps the audience engaged. His energy helps salvage a few moments from falling flat.

Janhvi Kapoor’s game face

Janhvi remains a good sport. From playing awkward games — I was reciting Rosesh Sarabhai’s poem ‘Jelly’ in my head during the touch-and-tell game she was made to play — to indulging in forced banter, she handles it with ease and spontaneity. Her anecdotes about the cultural crossover between her North Indian father (Boney Kapoor) and South Indian mother (Sridediv) bring some moments of warmth and laughter.

The saving grace: Kiku, Krushna and Sunil

The dynamic trio of Kiku Sharda, Krushna Abhishek, and Sunil Grover come in like seasoned chefs, sprinkling some much-needed spice into an otherwise bland dish. While Kiku-Krushna’s Baahubali-themed parody and Sunil’s masterful impersonation of S.S. Rajamouli injected some laugh-out-loud moments, the skit went on for just too long — if one had a shot every time Sunil said ‘VFX’, they’d end up with liver cirrhosis.

NAY

Saif Ali Khan’s bored face

If you are wondering how Saif Ali Khan feels about the episode, just look at his face. Even his charming wit couldn’t mask his visible disinterest. It’s almost like Saif was internally screaming, “Get me out of here,” while externally smiling for the camera. Not a good look for a comedy show!

Forced North-South banter

The episode kicked off with Kapil’s observational humour about North and South India, but it just didn’t click. The exaggerated attempts to highlight cultural differences come off as tired and forced, failing to add any new flavour to an overused recipe. Even with some of Kapil's one-liners, Saif was left puzzled, while NTR soldiered on with polite chuckles.

Rajiv Thakur’s missed opportunity

Poor Rajiv Thakur. Finally given more screen time, he ends up bombing with a dull, poorly written act. Paired with Soundous Moufakir – clueless as chief attendant Lucia – and an unfunny Chef (Manju), their gag (what was it about, again?) felt painfully out of place.

Enough of social media comments

The segment that worked in Episode 1 – with Alia Bhatt and Karan Johar in the house – just did not take off in Episode 2. This is one gag that has surely been overstretched. Saif’s eye-rolls say it all – time to send the social media comments to the cold storage.