'Shocked, broken by recent acts of vandalism': Mumbai's Comedy Studio The Habitat shuts down after Kunal Kamra & India's Got Latent Controversy

On Sunday evening, comedian Kunal Kamra found himself embroiled in a fresh controversy. Kunal took a dig at social media, referring to a minister as a "Gaddar" in a satirical video. The clip quickly went viral, prompting Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena workers to vandalize The Habitat in Khar, Mumbai. They later proceeded to the Khar police station to file an FIR against him.

In the video, Kunal altered the tune of Bholi Si Surat from Dil To Pagal Hai, using it to call the minister a "Gaddar." He further described the minister as someone from Thane who drives a rickshaw has a beard, and wears glasses. Kunal himself shared the video on social media on Sunday, captioning it "Maharashtra."

Rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray in 2022, bringing down his government and splitting the party. Multiple FIRs have been filed against the comic, including one based on a complaint by minister Pratap Sarnaik.

The video sparked an immediate uproar on social media. While some users were outraged by the vandalism at The Habitat, many netizens came out in support of Kunal. They criticised the attack on comedians while criminals and rapists continue to walk free.

Kunal Kamra didn't back down and continued to make his stance clear. He took to social media and shared a photo of himself holding the Constitution of India, captioning it, "The only way forward..."

Amid the ongoing controversy, The Habitat, the venue where Kunal performed and where episodes of India's Got Latent were filmed has been temporarily shut down.

In a statement posted on its official Instagram handle, The Habitat said it has decided to shut down "till we figure out the best way to provide a platform for free expression without putting ourselves and our property in jeopardy".

The post said, "We are shocked, worried and extremely broken by the recent acts of vandalism targeting us. Artists are solely responsible for their views and creative choices. 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."

Incidentally, the studio was in the news earlier for the 'India's Got Latent' episode during which YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia sparked a massive row.

"We are shutting down till we figure out the best way to provide a platform for free expression without putting ourselves and our property in jeopardy. We invite all artists, audience and stakeholders to discuss and share their views freely and request your guidance so that we also respect the performers' rights," the studio said.

Earlier, the studio had said in a social media post that it was not involved in the making of Kunal Kamra's latest video and "does not endorse the views expressed by it". "We extend a sincere and heartfelt apology to all those hurt by this video," it had said after a group of Sena workers entered the premises in Khar and damaged property to protest against the comic's remarks against Mr Shinde. Visuals showed Sena workers swinging chairs at cameras, lights and speakers at the studio.

Netizens were unhappy with this development and criticized the state of law and order in the city.

Episodes of India's Got Latent removed from YouTube, show shuts down 

This isn't the first time comedians have been targeted. Just last month, Ranveer Allahbadia, Samay Raina, and Ashish Chanchlani also faced backlash for indecent jokes on India's Got Talent.

​In February 2025, the YouTube show India's Got Latent, hosted by comedian Samay Raina, became the centre of a significant controversy. During an episode, guest Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as "BeerBiceps," posed an inappropriate and explicit question to a contestant regarding their parents. This remark  didnt go down with social media users,

The backlash led to multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) being filed against individuals associated with the show, including Samay Raina, Ashish Chanchlani, Apoorva Mukhija, Jasprit Singh, and the show's organizers. Authorities summoned Allahbadia and Raina for questioning, and the controversy was even raised in the Indian Parliament, highlighting concerns about online content regulation and freedom of speech.