Following the row over his remarks on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, sources close to comedian Kunal Kamra have said he has sought more time to appear before the Mumbai Police and has been receiving death threats from workers of Mr Shinde’s party, the Shiv Sena.
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 the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai’s Khar, Mr Kamra had made some comments on the Shiv Sena chief – without naming him – through a satirical version of the song ‘Bholi si surat’ from the 1997 blockbuster ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’. The satirical song also had a mention of ‘gaddar’ (traitor) which was seen as a reference to Mr Shinde splitting the Shiv Sena in 2022 and joining hands with the BJP, leading to the Uddhav Thackeray-led government losing power in Maharashtra.
‘Asked For A Week’
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.
Fresh Post
Mr Kamra, who has said he will cooperate with the police but does not regret his remarks, also posted a video on Tuesday with shots of Shiv Sena workers vandalising the Habitat Comedy Club overlaid with another satirical song from his comedy special.
In a satirical take on “hum honge kamyaab” (we shall overcome), the comedian had changed the words to “hum honge kangaal” (we shall be bankrupt) during his comedy special. It was this song that Mr Kamra used for his new post, which showed Sena workers causing destruction at the comedy club, throwing chairs and leaving documents and photos lying on the stairs.
The video also shows Sena workers burning Mr Kamra’s photo, getting ready to set fire to his effigy, and flashing the victory sign after being granted bail by a magistrate’s court.
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 had told news agency ANI that 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.