Mumbai (PTI): Comedian Kapil Sharma has partnered with streaming service Netflix for a brand new comedy show.

Sharma, who ruled the Indian television scene with his popular celebrity chat series "The Kapil Sharma Show", is entering the streaming bandwagon to bring a "fresh, new and an exciting comedy extravaganza to his fans around the world", a Netflix press release said.

Joining him on the new adventure are his fellow members from "The Kapil Sharma Show" -- Archana Puran Singh, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda and Rajiv Thakur.

Sharma also made the announcement on social media through a video skit that also featured Singh, Abhishek, Sharda and Thakur.

While not a standalone comedy special, the fresh new series promises double the laughter and heightened entertainment in every episode. The show vows to bring back the quirks and, most importantly, the incredible warmth that the Kapil family is known for, Netflix said.

Monika Shergill, Vice President, Content, Netflix India, said Kapil Sharma is a huge entertainer whose legacy and comedy has made him a household name across India for many years.

"We're incredibly proud to further our partnership with him and bring the King of Indian Comedy, alongside his beloved and well-known castmates, to Netflix for an all-new comedy show. Kapil will continue to make India laugh and also entertain millions of his viewers globally now, from his new address-Netflix," she added.

Sharma's "The Kapil Sharma Show" became a rage among the viewers after it premiered on Sony in 2016. Many stars of Indian cinema, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn, often made appearances on the popular show to promote their latest work.

 

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New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.

The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.

When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.

"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."


Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."

Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."

Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.

"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."