Several celebrities have come forward to help stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma after a massive fire razed down the sets of his hugely popular television show "Comedy Nights with Kapil".
The fire, which broke out in Goregaon's Film City in Mumbai, on 25 September, had reportedly caused losses to the tune of ₹20 crore - ₹22 crore. The show's team have been scouting for alternative locations and finally zeroed in on the sets of "Bigg Boss" to resume the shooting.
Despite the mishap, Kapil has found support in celebrities like Lata Mangeshkar and Shah Rukh Khan who have offered to help him.
"I got a call from Lataji and she asked if I need any kind of help, whether monetary or anything. She asked what can I do for you... Her call was a big thing," an ecstatic Kapil told Press Trust of India (PTI).
"Also Shah Rukh Khan, Rohit Shetty and lot of people from the industry called me and said 'hum tumhare saath hai, batao kitne din mein set khada karna hai' (we are with you, tell in how many days the set has to be put up). The industry is like a family."
The fire, which took almost five hours and several fire fighters to bring the situation under control, broke out on a day when singer Sonu Singam was to shoot an episode on the popular show.
"We were even planning to shoot with Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan for the promotion of their forthcoming films. But unfortunately due to the tragedy, we are trying to work out things," said the 32-year-old actor.
Adding to his woes, the funnyman has also come under the scanner of Income Tax Department who issued a ₹60 lakh tax evasion case against him.
"I am very upset with reports saying that I am a tax evader. Service Tax department imposed tax on the artistes in July last year, and I have already paid Rs 35 lakh towards the tax. I have to pay the remaining Rs 30 lakh which is due in October," adding, "I will pay the remaining amount," said Kapil.
"Comedy Nights with Kapil", which is aired on Colors TV, is one Indian television's most watched shows and features several celebrity guests. The show stars Kapil as the host along with Navjot Singh Siddhu, Sumona Chakravarti, Alis Assgar, Sunil Grover and Upasana Singh.
