Kunal Kamra’s latest stand-up, in which he has allegedly referred to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a ‘Gaddar’ (traitor), has drawn the ire of Shiv Sena party.
| Photo Credit: Screengrab via YouTube/Kunal Kamra
Comedian Kunal Kamra on Wednesday (March 26, 2025) criticised Bollywood studio T-Series, alleging that his stand-up special “Naya Bharat”, which has kicked up a huge controversy over jokes targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, was flagged for copyright violations on YouTube.
Mr. Kamra on Wednesday (March 26, 2025) dropped a new video from the comedy special, in which he performed a parody of “Hawa Hawai” from “Mr. India” to criticise Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her policies.
The songs of “Mr. India”, which featured Anil Kapoor and late cinema star Sridevi, belong to T-Series label.
Mr. Kamra shared a screenshot from YouTube on X, which showed “Naya Bharat”, his new video, has been blocked due to copyright restrictions and therefore is not visible to viewers. Due to copyright claims, the video will not be able to generate revenue as well.
“Hello @TSeries, stop being a stooge. Parody and Satire comes under fair use legally. I haven’t used the lyrics or the original instrumental of the song. If you take this video down every cover song/dance video can be taken down. Creators please take a note of it,” the 36-year-old comic said.
“Having said that every monopoly in India is nothing short of Mafia so please watch/download this special before it’s taken down. FYI – T- Series I stay in Tamil Nadu (sic),” he added.
In a statement, a spokesperson of T-Series said, “Mr. Kunal Kamra has not taken any authorisation or approval for the usage of the underlying musical work in the song hence the content has been blocked for infringement of composition rights.”
“Naya Bharat”, which also made jokes about recent political developments in Maharashtra, including the Shiv Sena and NCP splits, has amassed over 6.7 million views on YouTube.
Since uploading the video on Sunday (March 23, 2025), Mr. Kamra has also received monetary contributions from his fans through YouTube’s Super Thanks feature, which allows creators to earn revenue and engage with viewers. Mr. Kamra has said he will not apologise for his comments made in the video.
Police on Wednesday (March 26, 2025) issued a second notice to Mr. Kunal Kamra in connection with a case filed in Mumbai for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Mr. Shinde, an official said.
According to the official, in the notice, Mr. Kamra has been asked to appear before the investigating officer of the case filed at the Khar police station in suburban Mumbai on a complaint lodged by Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel.
It was not clear when Mr. Kamra’s appearance has been sought as the official did not provide further details.
On Sunday (March 23, 2025) night, Shiv Sena members damaged the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, where Mr. Kamra’s show took place, as well as a hotel in whose premises the club is located.
The police have also registered a case against 40 workers of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena for vandalising the venue of the comedian’s show.
Published – March 27, 2025 12:17 am IST
