‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ Season 3 has once again demonstrated its popularity. This season premiered on the OTT platform Netflix on June 21, 2025, with superstar Salman Khan appearing as a guest in the very first episode.
The Great Indian Kapil Show: Kapil Sharma, one of India's most popular comedy stars, has returned to OTT with the third season of his show, ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show.’ However, the response from his fans has not been as expected. After a few initial episodes, viewers rapidly began to disregard this season, which is being broadcast on Netflix, and the show has now dropped out of the top 10 non-English shows list on the platform.
A Great Start, But Momentum Slowed
The first episode of this new season, launched on June 21, 2025, was well-received by the audience, largely due to Salman Khan's guest appearance. The show secured the fourth position on Netflix’s global list of non-English content. However, this popularity proved to be fleeting. In the second week, the show slipped to seventh place, and by the third and fourth weeks, it had fallen out of the top 10 altogether. This clearly indicates that the show's grip is gradually weakening.
Netflix releases a top 10 list every week based on the total views and watch hours of non-English shows available on its platform. The data for each episode isn't provided; instead, the total watch time and streaming minutes of all episodes within the week are considered. This directly implies that if a show lacks novelty and consistency, it becomes difficult to sustain it for a long period, despite an initial surge of clicks.
Why Didn't Kapil Sharma's Show Work on OTT?
OTT expert Girish Wankhede provided the answer to this question. In a conversation with Amar Ujala, he said, "Kapil Sharma's show didn't work on OTT because its content is the same as on TV, which has been overexposed. OTT viewers are more discerning and seek new experiences. If the show lacks depth or a fresh angle, they abandon it."
He also stated that the real measure of success on OTT is not just the views but also how long the show is watched on average. Girish further explains, "If an episode is 51 minutes long and people stop watching it after just 2-3 minutes, it's just a click, not viewership. This is what is happening with ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show.’"
People open it out of curiosity but don't watch it for long. This statement also validates Netflix's algorithm, where clickbait shows might find a place, but only consistent and engaging content endures. TV viewers are generally accustomed to traditional formats and repeated content. In contrast, OTT viewers have countless options—thrillers, dramas, documentaries, suspense, comedy, etc. When Kapil Sharma's show aired on TV, it had a stable audience.
