“Bruised My Spirit”: On Kunal Kamra Joke Row, Film-Maker Recalls Own Ordeal

Film-maker Hansal Mehta today came out in support of comedian Kumal Kamra, who is being targeted over his joke on Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. In a post on X, Mr Mehta recalled an incident 25 years ago, when, he said, he was similarly targeted by the undivided Shiv Sena over an innocuous line in one of his movies. 

Mr Kamra had sparked a massive controversy over the weekend, referring to the Deputy Chief Minister as a “traitor” (Gaddar) during a performance at the hotel, with a parody of a Hindi song from the movie ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’. It was an allusion to the 2022 rebellion that split the Shiv Sena and pulled down the government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

The Shiv Sena demanded his arrest and supporters and members of the party vandalized the office of the “The Unicontinental Mumbai”, where the show was held.  Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) leader Sanjay Nirupam today threatened to “thrash” the comedian.

A police case has been filed against him as well as against the Sena members for the vandalism. 

Hansal Mehta today recalled that he had faced worse and was forced to apologise.

“Loyalists of the same (then undivided) political party stormed into my office. They vandalised it, physically assaulted me, blackened my face, and forced me to apologise publicly-by falling at the feet of an elderly woman-for a single line of dialogue in my film,” his post read.  

“That incident didn’t just bruise my body. It bruised my spirit. It blunted my filmmaking, muted my courage, and silenced parts of me that took years to reclaim.,” Mr Mehta wrote. 

What happened with Kamra is, sadly, not new to Maharashtra. I’ve lived through it myself.

Twenty-five years ago, loyalists of the same (then undivided) political party stormed into my office. They vandalised it, physically assaulted me, blackened my face, and forced me to…

— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) March 24, 2025

Asserting that intimidation and humiliation “can never be justified” he added that “we owe ourselves dialogue, dissent, and dignity”.

Mr Kamra has been defiant, pointedly refusing to back down. In a post on X, he said today that he does not fear this mob and would not “hide under the  bed”. “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,” he added.. 

In the post , he also said he would “cooperate with the police and courts for any lawful action taken against me”. At the same time, he questioned if the law will be ‘fairly and equally deployed against those who have decided that vandalism is the appropriate response to a joke”. 

My Statement – pic.twitter.com/QZ6NchIcsM

— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) March 24, 2025

Mr Kamra’s joke has triggered a political slugfest, with the two factions of the Shiv Sena targeting each other. The Sena faction led by Mr Shinde has alleged that the comedian has been paid by the Sena UBT faction to target the Deputy Chief Minister.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said while he is not against comedy, disrespecting someone is not okay. “Such low-level comedy and disrespecting the Deputy Chief Minister is not right,” he said.

“He (Eknath Shinde) should understand that the people of Maharashtra showed who is ‘gaddar’ (traitor) and who is not in the 2024 elections. People have decided to who has the legacy of Bal Thackeray,” Mr Fadnavis added, underscoring that the comedian should apologise.

Sena UBT leader and MLA Aaditya Thackeray said “only an insecure coward would react to a song by someone”. 

The point was underscored by Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, who pointed out that Mr Shinde was not named in Kunal Kamra’s joke. 

“Their vandalism shows that it hurt them and that there is truth in the joke. What kind of intolerance is this? If you don’t like something, file a police complaint,” she said.