Amid criticism, stand-up comic Kunal Kamra on Tuesday released a new video to criticize Shiv Sena supporters for damaging Mumbai’s The Habitat comedy club, where he had previously performed and where his jokes regarding Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde caused significant controversy.
Kunal Kamra made a ‘traitor’ remark about Eknath Shinde regarding the 2022 division of the party established by Bal Thackeray, drawing criticism from officials within the Maharashtra government.
In the latest video, Kunal Kamra performs ‘Hum Honge Kangal’ – a rewritten version of the melody ‘Hum Honge Kamyaab’ – while scenes of Shiv Sena members destroying The Habitat are highlighted. Kamra cites Nathuram Godse and self-styled godman Asaram to counter Sena leaders who have criticized and issued threats.
While Kamra sings ‘hum honge kangal ek din, man me hai andhvishwas, desh ka satyanash’ (we will be poor one day, there is blind faith in the heart, the country is facing ruin), footage displays Sena workers tossing chairs and damaging the property at a well-known comedy club in Mumbai.
ALSO READ: ‘Money funneled through hawala’: Ranya Rao’s shocking confession
He introduced the song to the audience as ‘another anthem for Viksit Bharat’ before he started his performance.
Kamra’s newest video comes merely hours after the Mumbai Police called him for questioning regarding a complaint made in reaction to his joke about Shinde. In a written response to the Mumbai Police, submitted via his lawyer, Kamra requested an extension of one week.
A case was filed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) police against Kamra, which was moved to Khar police for additional investigation.
After the FIR, Kamra said he would not apologise for his controversial remarks. “I will not apologise… I don’t fear this mob and I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down,” Kamra said in a post on X.
