Comedian saw extreme poverty after losing dad at 2, survived on leftovers, mom cleaned toilets; now among highest-paid in the industry

Indian Express

a day ago

'Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.' This iconic quote by Charlie Chaplin rings true for many comedians who rise from marginalised backgrounds to rule the world of laughter. Kapil Sharma's journey from Punjab to Mumbai was anything but easy. The late Raju Srivastav drove an auto rickshaw in Mumbai before making it big. Bharti Singh, too, faced numerous hardships before earning the title of 'Laughter Queen' and becoming one of the highest-paid comedians in the industry. But Bharti's journey sets her apart from all the male comics, and she has made a name for herself in an industry that has largely been dominated by men.
Bharti was just two years old when her father passed away, and all the financial responsibility of the family fell on her mother and two elder siblings — a sister and a brother. In an old interaction, Bharti had revealed that to keep the household running, her siblings had to give up their studies and start working in a blanket factory. She also shared that her mother worked multiple jobs, from making 'Maata Rani ki Dupatta (ceremonial clothes)' to doing household chores in other people's homes.
She had told Times of India, 'My focus was always poverty. I was two years old when my father passed away. My brothers and sisters gave up their jobs. They worked in a factory. They carried heavy blankets, blankets that we could never have used. They stitched them night after night.'
While speaking to Brut India, Bharti admitted to experiencing extreme hunger during her childhood. She said their financial condition was so dire that her mother had to work in people's homes, cleaning their houses and toilets. From there, she would bring home leftover food that Bharti and her siblings would eat.
She said, 'There was so much hunger and poverty. I used to get depressed during festivals. We would do Lakshmi puja after my mom would get the sweet box from work. I would go and stand near other kids bursting crackers so that others would think I burst them. When my mom would work at people's homes, I used to sit near the door. She would clean toilets. While leaving, they would give her leftover food. Their stale food would become our fresh food. And that would make our day.'
She added, 'We have eaten salt and roti but now we have dal, sabzi and roti. I just hope my family always has at least dal to eat. I will never want to face the situation or have my family go through that.'
Bharti started doing theatre and comedy shows during college in Punjab, and that's where her talent was first discovered. She soon got an audition call for Comedy Circus. After she gave her audition in Amritsar for the show, she was called to Mumbai. 'I was briefed about the show and took my first-ever flight, to Mumbai with my mother,' she told India Today. After doing back-to-back comedy shows on TV, Bharti became a household name, with her character 'Lali' becoming a fan favourite.
She also participated in the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5 and soon moved on to hosting popular shows like Dance Deewane, Hunarbaaz: Desh Ki Shaan, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs 2022, and the recent Laughter Chefs – Unlimited Entertainment. She also runs her own YouTube channel Bharti TV, and another channel LOL (Life of Limbachiyaas) with her husband and writer Haarsh Limbachiyaa, where they share vlogs. She also boasts 9 million followers on Instagram.
According to a report in ETimes, Bharti is among the highest-paid comedians in the industry and was paid between Rs 10 to Rs 12 lakhs per episode for hosting Laughter Chefs Season 2.
According to TOI, Bharti owns several high-end vehicles, including an Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GL 350, and BMW X7. With an estimated net worth of around Rs 30 crore, she is among the richest comedians in the country. Bharti also owns a luxurious 2BHK home in Mumbai, valued at approximately Rs 6 crore.