Kunal Kamra, a comedian and a political satiarist has always been in news for wrong reasons. From making comments on journalists, the Supreme Court of India, not sparing even Prime Minister Narendra Modi! But this time things took an ugly turn when his remarks on Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde sparked an outrage.
Kamra received severe backlash from Shiv Sena members as well as from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for referring to Shinde as a “gaddar” or traitor. The comedian took a jibe at the minister as he performed a parody of a popular Hindi song from the 1997 movie, ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’. Shiv Sena workers also vandalised the Habitat Studio, the venue where his now-controversial comedy special, Naya Bharat, was performed.
Fadnavis insisted that Kamra should apologise and that “legal action will be taken according to the law.” He stated that Eknath Shinde had been insulted, and such attempts would not be tolerated, emphasising that while there is a right to comedy, derogatory statements cannot be accepted.
Shinde has likened comedian Kamra jibe at him to taking “supari” (contract) to speak against someone, and said there should be a decorum while making a satire, otherwise the “action causes a reaction.” Freedom of speech is there, but there should be a limit, Shinde said. He further added, “This same person [Kamra] had commented on the Supreme Court of India, the Prime Minister, [journalist] Arnab Goswami and some industrialists. This is not freedom of speech; this is working for someone.”
Meanwhile, in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of double standards. Thackeray highlighted that while Kamra was summoned for allegedly insulting a ‘traitor’, no action was taken against actor Rahul Solapurkar for his remarks about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Thackeray questioned the motives behind the action against Kamra and criticised the government’s selective approach.
Amidst the ongoing controversy, Kamra took to social media platform X to criticise the mainstream media, labelling them as “vultures”. He accused them of being a “miscommunication arm of the ruling party” and suggested that their absence would benefit the country and its people. Kamra said that it is not against the law to make fun of leaders, and their inability to take a joke does not take away his right. Responding to the controversy, the comedian said, “Our right to freedom of speech and expression is not only to be used to fawn over the powerful and rich even though today’s media would have us believe otherwise. Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right.”
To all those hounding for a quote –
“The mainstream media at this point is nothing but a miscommunication arm of the ruling party. They are vultures who report on issues that dont matter to the people of this country. If they all shut shop from tomorrow till eternity they will…— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) March 27, 2025
Certainly, comedy doesn’t come easy if aimed at political figures. Since the matter has now taken a legal course, it’s wait and watch who has the last laugh!
