Kapil Sharma, the beleaguered and dethroned TV comedy king, is reportedly rejuvenating in Bengaluru while Tollywood’s critics sharpen their knives to write him off. He says he’s been working non-stop for ten years and needed help to combat anxiety, blood pressure, sugar problems and correct an unbalanced diet. So Kapil checked himself into an Ayurvedic spa where his body is being scientifically repaired and he hopes to return by September end. “I need to make a great and healthy comeback,” the comedian-actor admitted.

He’s heard all the stories being circulated about him, of course, but dismissed them as “rubbish”. He claims to have a “wonderful relationship” with Sony and the channel’s bosses have been supportive and never threatened him with termination of his show. Nor is there any truth behind the story that Kapil’s been cancelling or not showing up for his TV shoots because he’s been busy wrapping up his second Bollywood film, Firangi. Pooh-poohing the suggestion, Kapil clarified in an interview to a tabloid this morning, “I’m spending my own hard-earned money to produce Firangi, money that I earned from hosting the TV show, so am I a fool to jeopardise my biggest source of income?”

And what about the tales of him keeping Bollywood superstars like Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn waiting at Film City interminably when they came to promote their films Jab Harry Met Sejal and Baadshaho respectively on his comedy show? Kapil Sharma dodged the accusation cleverly by neither confirming nor denying it. Again he asked, “Am I a fool to make a superstar like SRK wait? I don’t wish to make anybody wait. (But he does, oh yes, Kapil Sharma arrogantly and egotistically does that, everybody in Tollywood and Bollywood says so. There can’t be smoke without fire, can there?)

I am genuinely unwell. And I have no energy to keep on sending out denials!”