Sayantani Ghosh with her Comedy Circus partner Kuldeep Dubey

On Indian television, nothing guarantees TRPs better than repeating a successful formula. So after an action-packed, controversy-ridden first season, Sony Entertainment Television is back with Comedy Circus. The second edition of the popular stand-up comic show — featuring some of the best known faces on TV pairing up with renowned stand-up comedians from India and Pakistan — promises to take up from where the first edition left off.

“Comedy Circus became an instant hit for its unique concept and rib-tickling acts. Season 2 promises to be yet another laugh riot never seen before on Indian television,” said Albert Almeida, executive vice president, Sony.

On air for a week now, Comedy Circus 2 is pulling out all stops to tickle its audience. If Bollywood was the theme of the first season, the second edition takes inspiration from diverse fields: costume dramas to cricket, reality TV to gender swapping. Performing before a live studio audience will be pairs including Sayantani Ghosh, Apara Mehta, Rajesh Kumar, Krushna, Akashdeep Saigal, Kamya Punjabi and even Chitrashi Rawat, the feisty Komal Chautala of Chak De! India.

The participants all have their own reasons for signing up for Comedy Circus. “Being on the Comedy Circus stage affords me with an opportunity to shed my inhibitions and interact with a live audience. This is not something I have attempted before,” says Calcutta girl Sayantani, whose hilarious act with partner Kuldeep won her a standing ovation from the judges (to be aired tonight at 10pm).

For actor Rajesh Kumar, Comedy Circus is a platform to further his acting ambitions. “The industry is really big on comedy right now and Comedy Circus is a wonderful avenue to broaden my horizons,” says Rajesh, whose comic antics as Roshesh in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai had the country in splits.

Unlike season one, which featured comic veterans like Ali Asgar and Ketaki Dave, Comedy Circus 2 is peppered with novices. “Getting people to laugh is one of the most difficult things in the world. Having serious actors like Akashdeep Saigal and Apara Mehta on the show helps rouse audience interest,” feels Rajesh.

The participants may change with every season, but Comedy Circus has retained the successful combination of judges Satish Shah and Archana Puran Singh and host Shruti Seth. With the jodis fighting it out for the top position over a period of 20 weeks, this chapter of Comedy Circus looks all set to live up to its promise — “Dil khol ke hasso!”