Comedian Kunal Kamra has recently found himself at the centre of controversy for lampooning Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde. Jeering at Shinde for switching sides, Kamra in a sneering performance, during his recent show titled Naya Bharat, called Shinde a “Gaddar”( traitor). A clip of the performance shared by Kamra shows him singing a song, purportedly referring to “a leader from Thane.”
Following the incident, the Unicontinental in Mumbai, where the performance of Kumra took place, was vandalized reportedly by 20 Shiv Sena supporters, resulting in significant damages. The Shiv Sena has lodged a complaint against Kamra and has called it “conspiracy to malign Shinde”
“The acts committed by Mr. Kunal Kamra, including making statements that hurt public sentiments, utter obscene words, and make defamatory insinuations and innuendos targeting Shri Eknath Shinde, are not only offensive but also unlawful,” the complaint reads
Meanwhile, Kamra has said that he would not apologise for his remark “Gaddar” at Maharashtra deputy chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde unless the courts orders him to do so.
However, in parallel, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam, said “We will thrash Kunal Kamra tomorrow at 11 o’clock.” “You ( Kunal Kamra) will be forced to flee India.”
Commenting on the jibe, Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP Naresh Mhaske named Kamra as a “contract comedian” and said that “We will make sure you cannot move freely throughout the country. We are Shiv Sainiks of the late Balasaheb Thackeray. If we start following you, you will have to leave the country,” “Once the fangs are out, there will be dire consequences,” he added.
In response to the spate of uproars, Kamra posted a picture of himself holding a pocket-sized copy of the Constitution on social media, captioning it, “The only way forward.”
Kunal Kamra is no stranger to controversial light for his remarks, Kunal Kamra faced widespread criticism in January 2020, following the confrontation with journalist Arnab Giswami, the incident took place on an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Lucknow. Kamra reportedly approached Goswami and questioned his journalistic ethics, moving further he referred to him as a “coward.” The incident was recorded and shared by Kamra on social media which in a short span made rounds on social media.
IndiGo imposed a six-month flying ban on Kunal Kamra, citing “unacceptable behavior.” Following this, other airlines such as Air India, SpiceJet, and GoAir also banned Kamra indefinitely, after Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri publicly called on all carriers to take similar measures. The incident ignited a fierce debate over the balance between freedom of expression and the severity of the penalties.
Kunal Kamra’s comedy is far from the only one to have faced backlash. In recent years, Indian stand up comedians have found themselves grappling in the inferno of controversy, facing legal battles and threats.
In January 2021, comedian Munawar Faruqui was arrested in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, just before his stand-up show was set to begin, triggering a nationwide debate on freedom of speech and the challenges faced by comedians in India. Faruqui was accused of making offensive comments about Hindu deities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a rehearsal, following a complaint by Eklavya Singh Gaud, the son of BJP MLA Malini Gaud. However, the police later acknowledged that there was no evidence to support the claims that Faruqui had made such remarks during the event.
Faruqui denied the accusations, asserting that the jokes in question were never actually performed. Nevertheless, he and four others were arrested under IPC Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) along with other charges. The case sparked widespread criticism, with many viewing it as an example of laws being misused to stifle artistic freedom and suppress dissent.
In November 2021, comedian Vir Das delivered a monologue titled “I Come From Two Indias” at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., which ignited considerable controversy in India. The six-minute performance explored the contradictions and dualities within Indian society, touching on issues such as gender violence, media integrity, religious divides, and political struggles. One of the most debated lines from the monologue was: “I come from an India where we worship women during the day and gang-rape them at night.”
