Suresh Albela from Kota, Rajasthan is the winner of 'The Great Indian Laughter Challenge' on Star One. For the judges, former cricketer Navjoth Singh Sidhu and Shatrughan Sinha, it was a tough decision because all the four finalists – Raas Bihari Gaur, Bharati Singh, Suresh Albela and Sikander-put up a great show.
Suresh Albela, a shy young lad from Kota, rendered his 'comic ode' to Mallika Sherawat and Emraan Hashmi and he had us in splits. Nervous, but confident, Albela impressed the jury and the viewers alike with his comic style.
He vividly recollects when Malaika Arora Khan was a guest judge on the show. Speaking in chaste Hindi, he said, "I am a huge Malaika fan. And when I saw her, for the first few seconds, I was tongue-tied." But with a twinkle in his eyes, he said, "If I had to impress her, I knew I had to give it my best! And on that particular day, I did give it my best."
According to sources, the grand finale was a war of wits. The participants had the judges in splits. The clincher was the voting system, which helped Suresh Albela walk away with the crown.
