Kapil Sharma teases Navjot Singh Sidhu for his high fees, hints the 'The Great Indian Kapil Show' budget has been increased

Economic Times

3 hours ago

Agencies How much does Navjot Singh Sidhu earning from TGIKS?
Kapil Sharma has made a much-awaited return with a fresh season of The Great Indian Kapil Show, launching on Netflix. The debut episode featured none other than Bollywood icon Salman Khan, whose presence added star power to an already lively setting.
As expected, Kapil's signature wit lit up the stage as he playfully engaged with his co-stars and guests, especially taking a humorous swipe at Archana Puran Singh's online content. One of the most talked-about highlights of the episode was the return of Navjot Singh Sidhu, who rejoined the show after a long gap.
The show began with Kapil's trademark comic timing, and he didn't waste any time poking fun at Sidhu's return. In his typical playful style, he mentioned how fortunate they were to have a budget that could 'afford' Sidhu, alluding to the increased production values on the platform. 'I want to thank Netflix for giving us that much budget that we could afford Sidhu paaji," he quipped. Kapil warmly welcomed Sidhu back to his iconic chair, hinting at the political undercurrents behind his reappearance by joking that it was a coalition of sorts that made this comeback possible. The camaraderie between the two Amritsari entertainers was on full display as Sidhu responded in his poetic fashion, emphasizing the unbreakable bond they share, subtly taking a dig at Archana Puran Singh, who had taken over his seat during his absence.Kapil explained the reason behind the six-month delay in launching the new season, attributing it jokingly to the long process of convincing Sidhu. He later clarified that his own film commitments had also played a role in the postponement. While the spotlight was on Kapil's upcoming films, Archana Puran Singh shared that she, too, had been busy—managing her vlogs. This led Kapil to make another playful jab, claiming that her vlogs were just a clever excuse to let her family dine out for free. In a classic Kapil punchline, he quipped that her food videos were more fraud than vlog, triggering laughs from the audience. He went further, teasing that when restaurants don't recognize her celebrity status, Archana tries to get discounts by name-dropping her husband, actor Parmeet Sethi, known for his role in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.According to a report by Siasat.com , Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was last seen as a regular fixture on The Kapil Sharma Show between 2018 and 2020, had earlier earned a hefty sum of Rs 25 crore for a total of 125 episodes. This translated to an average payout of approximately Rs 20 lakh per episode during that period.
However, with his recent return to the show on a digital platform, industry sources suggest that his remuneration has seen a significant upswing. Since the new season on Netflix airs only one episode per week, Sidhu is reportedly commanding a far higher fee than before. Current estimates place his per-episode salary in the range of Rs 30 to Rs 40 lakh, signaling a dramatic increase from his previous earnings. This surge in his compensation reflects both the exclusivity of the OTT format and Sidhu's continued popularity among audiences.