The Great Indian Kapil Show: Chinmayi Sripaada criticizes Kapil Sharma for his alleged racist joke about director Atlee; says ‘this is disappointing’ – Times of India

Filmmaker Atlee appeared on a recent episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show to promote his upcoming movie, Baby John. However, during the show, the director seemed upset after comedian Kapil Sharma made a racist joke about his appearance. Atlee, visibly displeased, responded by asking Kapil not to judge people based on their looks but on the goodness of their hearts.
The incident involving comedian Kapil Sharma and filmmaker Atlee has sparked questions among viewers, with many wondering if Kapil’s joke about Atlee’s appearance was intended as a derogatory comment. Singer Chinmayi Sripaada has also spoken out, criticizing Kapil for allegedly making a remark about Atlee’s skin tone. For those unaware, Atlee had appeared on the grand finale of The Great Indian Kapil Show Season 2 alongside his film’s team, including Varun Dhawan, Keerthy Suresh, and Wamiqa Gabbi.
After the video from the show began circulating online, Kapil Sharma faced intense criticism for his remarks. The clip also caught the attention of singer Chinmayi Sripaada, who expressed her displeasure and openly called out Kapil for his joke. Taking to her X account, she reposted the clip and added her own caption. “Will they never stop these crass and racist jibes at his skin colour in the name of ‘comedy?’ Someone with the amount of influence and clout like Kapil Sharma saying something like this is disappointing and, unfortunately, not surprising.”

The grand finale of The Great Indian Kapil Show aired on December 15, 2024. While many moments from the episode were heartfelt, one incident left viewers disappointed. Kapil Sharma made a subtle joke about Atlee that did not land well, with some on social media labeling it as racist.
Kapil was heard asking Atlee, “When you get to meet a star for the first time, do they ask, where is Atlee?” Atlee responded to Kapil and said, “In a way I understood your question. I’ll try to answer. I’m actually very thankful to AR Murugadoss sir because he produced my first film. He asked for a script, but he didn’t see how I was looking or whether I’m capable of it or not. But, he loved my narration. I think the world should see that. We should not judge by appearance. You have to judge by your heart.”
Numerous fans of filmmaker Atlee have expressed their disappointment over the joke made by Kapil Sharma. One X user commented, “I watched this episode this afternoon. I was thinking the same. Maybe his intention was not that, but then he should have framed the question in a much, much better way. But all in all, he is a champion of body shaming, so not surprising at all.” Another user wrote, “Kapil Sharma may be a nice person otherwise, but he makes racist/sexist/body shaming/homophobic jokes all the time on his show. His silly question to Atlee reflects the fair-skin colour obsession of North Indians.”