Kunal Kamra reacts after BookMyShow delists him, removes his content over 'Gaddar' remark on Eknath Shinde

Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra found himself in the center of controversy and this time for a satirical joke aimed at Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde.

Kunal Kamra recently released a video titled Naya Bharat, in which he commented on Maharashtra's ongoing political turmoil, particularly the rift within the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Using humor as his weapon, Kamra said, "Jo inhone Maharashtra ke election mein kiya hai... bolna padega... Pehle Shiv Sena BJP se bahar aa gayi, phir Shiv Sena Shiv Sena se bahar aa gayi... NCP NCP se bahar aa gayi... Ek voter ko 9 button de diye... sab confuse ho gaye..."

("What they did in Maharashtra's election... I have to say... First, Shiv Sena broke away from BJP, then Shiv Sena broke away from itself... NCP broke away from NCP... They gave voters nine buttons... everyone got confused...")

Although Kamra did not name Shinde directly, he referred to him as a "gaddar" (traitor) and sang a satirical version of a song from Dil To Pagal Hai, seemingly alluding to Shinde's political journey from Thane to Guwahati.

Following the release of the video, Kamra faced multiple FIRs and summons. He also drew sharp criticism from political party workers. Now, a fresh development has emerged in the ongoing case.

On Saturday, BookMyShow—the popular online ticketing platform—removed all content related to Kunal Kamra. According to India Today, the platform also took down his name from the list of featured artistes on its website.

Kunal Kamra reacted to BookMyShow's delisting him and removing all the content. 

After BookMyShow removed all the content about him from the website, Rahool N Kanal expressed gratitude to the platform's CEO Ashish Hemrajani for keeping its portal "clean and keeping such artists out of the list of pure entertainment."

A letter dated April 2, 2025, addressed to BookMyShow, raised concerns about Kamra's controversial content and his remark labeling Eknath Shinde as a "gaddar." The comedian was slammed by several politicians, and multiple FIRs were filed against him.

In the letter, Rahool N. Kanal stated, "I, Rahool N Kanal, am addressing this letter in my individual capacity as a concerned citizen to bring to your attention a matter of significant public interest concerning the operations of BookMyShow."

He further wrote, "It has come to my notice that BookMyShow has previously facilitated ticket sales for shows featuring Mr. Kunal Kamra, an individual with a documented history of habitual offensive behavior."

Kanal also criticised Kamra for what he described as a campaign of vilification against key public figures, including the Prime Minister, deputy chief ministers, and other prominent personalities.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police issued a third notice to Kamra, summoning him to appear for questioning on April 5 regarding his satirical remarks in the Naya Bharat video.

In a separate legal development, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police received a formal complaint on April 3 from a Shiv Sena representative, requesting an investigation into Kamra's financial transactions related to his content. The complaint alleges that Kamra received funds from various countries through his videos, raising concerns about the sources of his income.

On Saturday, Kamra failed to appear before the police. According to officials, this marks the third time he has missed a police summons. The Khar Police had earlier booked him following a complaint by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, who accused the comedian of making defamatory remarks against the deputy chief minister during his performance.

Kunal Kamra refuses to apologise

On the other hand, Kunal Kamra has refused to issue an apology for his comments and has criticised the vandalism of the venue where his comedy show was recorded.

In a lengthy post n social media, he wrote, "I will not apologize. What I said is exactly what Ajit Pawar (Maharashtra Deputy CM) said about Eknath Shinde."

Speaking about freedom of speech, he asserted, "Our right to freedom of speech and expression is not just for fawning 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. 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."

Sarcastically, he added, "Perhaps for my next venue, I will opt for Elphinstone Bridge or any other structure in Mumbai that's in need of speedy demolition."