Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 25: As the defiant stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra unloaded another parody on the social media with the visuals showing how the Shiv Sena (Shinde) vandalising his Mumbai studio, the Mumbai Police are investigating if the comedian’s jokes targeting the Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, was part of a conspiracy to defame him and whether the comic received money or any other form of help to mock him.
A team from Khar police station visited Kunal Kamra’s Mumbai home, where his parents stay, with summons asking the comic to appear for questioning in connection with the cases against him. Since the comic is believed to have left the state, the summons has been sent to his WhatsApp number too. Kamra faces multiple charges, including defamation and statements conducing to public mischief.
According to Mumbai police sources, they are trying to find out if Kunal received money or any other help to target Eknath Shinde. They are also probing if someone helped the comic write the lines he used against the Sena chief. Police have said Kunal Kamra’s phone and other devices may be examined during the probe.
Sources close to Mr Kamra said he was ready to cooperate in the investigation but has sought more time to appear before the Mumbai Police and that he had been receiving death threats from workers of Mr Shinde’s party. The sources said Mr Kamra has received at least 500 calls in which people have threatened to kill him and cut him to pieces (“kaat denge tumhe”).
In a show shot at Mumbai’s Habitat studio, Kunal Kamra targeted Mr Shinde with a parody of ‘Bholi Si Surat’, a popular song from the 1997 blockbuster Dil To Pagal Hai. He used the ‘gaddar’ (traitor) jibe against the Shiv Sena leader, who led a rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray in 2022, bringing down his government and splitting the party.
Upset with the remarks, Shiv Sena workers vandalised the studio, Habitat Studio in Khar, a preferred venue for stand-up comedy shows. Mr Shinde has said he did not support the vandalism, but cited party workers’ sentiments and said, “every action has a reaction.” He has also asked who gave Kunal Kamra “supari” to target him.
Besides the vandalism, the studio also faced a demolition exercise with civic officials alleging building law violations. The studio announced it has decided to shut down for now and said it was not responsible for the content in performers’ shows. “We have never been involved in the content performed by any Artist, but the recent events have made us rethink about how we get blamed and targeted every time almost like we are a proxy for the performer,” it said.
In a statement issued late last night, Kunal Kamra said the studio or any political party was not responsible for his remarks. “An entertainment venue is merely a platform. A space for all sorts of shows. Habitat (or any other venue) is not responsible for my comedy, nor does it have any power or control over what I say or do. Neither does any political party. Attacking a venue for a comedian’s words is as senseless as overturning a lorry carrying tomatoes, because you didn’t like the butter chicken you were served,” he said in a post on X.
He said he does not fear the mob and won’t be hiding. The comic said he was willing to cooperate with police and courts. “But will the law be fairly and equally deployed against those who have decided that vandalism is the appropriate response to being offended by a joke? And against the unelected members of the BMC, who have arrived today at Habitat, without prior notice, and tore the place down with hammers?” he asked.
After Mr Kamra’s show was posted on YouTube, Shiv Sena workers had vandalised the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar. The police had arrested 12 people affiliated with the Sena, who were later granted bail. Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel had also filed a case against Mr Kamra for his remarks against Mr Shinde. The case is being investigated by the Khar police, which had asked the comedian to appear before the investigating officer on Tuesday.
Sources close to Mr Kamra said he had spoken to an officer of the Khar police station and asked for a week’s time to appear. The officer, they said, asked him to do so as soon as possible.
Mr Kamra who has refused to apologise to Mr Shinde, on Tuesday posted another parody with shots of Shiv Sena workers vandalising the Habitat Comedy Club overlaid with a satirical song. Using a parody version of the Hindi translation of We Shall Overcome, Kamra exchanged the lyrics Hum Honge Kamyab with Hum Honge Kangal (We will be paupers).
In the beginning of the video, which was posted on his X and Instagram accounts, he is heard saying: “Viksit Bharat ka ek aur anthem (Here’s another anthem for a developed India).” He goes on to sing the parody version as the audience breaks into laughter in the background.
The parody also has lyrics like Mann mein andhvishwas, desh ka satyanash replacing popular phrases like Mann mein hai vishwas, poora hai vishwas from the original song. While there is no information on when this video was shot, it looks like it was part of his earlier sketch and edited later to make a statement on social media.
Mr Kamra’s post also features a clip of Shiv Sena Yuva Sena General Secretary Rahool Kanal, one of the 12 people affiliated to the Sena who were arrested for ransacking the studio. Using a popular movie dialogue, Mr Kanal said this (an apparent reference to the vandalism) was only a trailer and the picture was yet to come.
“It is not about taking any law in your hands. It is purely about your self-respect. When it comes to elders or respectable citizens of the country… when your elders are targeted, you will target someone of that mentality… The message (for Kunal Kamra) is clear, ‘Abhi tak toh ye trailer hai, picture abhi baki hai’. Whenever you are in Mumbai, you will get a good lesson in Shiv Sena style,” the Sena leader had said.
The comedian on the other hand, spoke about his right to freedom of speech and expression while calling out “politicians threatening to teach him a lesson.” “Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right. As far as I know, it is not against the law to poke fun at our leaders and the circus that is our political system. However, I am willing to cooperate with the police and courts for any lawful action taken against me,” he said.
Officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation visited the ransacked venue and said they had razed a temporary structure in the open space of the hotel. Mr Kamra criticised the civic body for tearing the place down without prior notice. He said for his next show, he would perhaps opt for “Elphinstone bridge, or any other structure in Mumbai” in need of speedy demolition.
The Opposition, meanwhile, has backed the comic and slammed the Maharashtra government for going after him. Uddhav Thackeray, Mr Shinde’s former boss, said Kunal Kamra has told the truth. “It was not satire. Those who steal are ‘gaddar,’ There is no ‘freedom of expression’ when it comes to traitors,” the Sena (UBT) chief has said.
