Mumbai:
Comedian Kunal Kamra has become the focus of a new controversy after the report that his shows were removed from the ticketing platform bookmisho.
The issue was born after Mr. Kamra, known for his adventure political comment, recently commented on Maharashtra Eknath Shinde’s Deputy Chief Minister during a stand-up demonstration. His satirical comments about Mr. Shinde’s political options gave birth to backlash from various groups, making police complaints against the comedian.
On 7 April, Kunal Kamra resorted to social media, accusing the platform of removing her show in response to the controversy to post an open letter directed in Bookmisho. In the letter, he challenged the decision and demanded access to the audience’s data, a step that gave birth to widespread discussions and raised eyebrows on digital platforms.
A part of his two-page letters read, “Dear Bookmyshow, I think you need to maintain a cordial relationship with the state, and I know that Mumbai is a major center for live entertainment. Without the support of the state, reputed shows like Koldplay and Gun N ‘Rose will not be possible.
A letter shared by Mr. Kamra on his X account, the Shiv Sena comes a few days after the allegation that Bookmisho removed it from both his ticket sales and artist listing.
In response, Bookmyshow issued an official statement to clarify the situation. His statement mentions that ‘the facts are incorrectly presented,’ revealing his role in the issue.
“Bookmyshow is a platform for facilitating the sales of tickets and conducting neutrality and in compliance with India’s laws. Some facts about our role are incorrectly presented. This is the organizer or the place that decides whether the show has to list.
He also emphasized that they do not interfere in the content of performance, saying that it is completely to the artists or organizers to decide what is presented on the stage. The statement said, “We cooperate with different places and promoters based on the agreed conditions. The artists are free to sell tickets through their websites, if they choose,” the statement says.
Recently in a development, the Bombay High Court has allegedly directed Mumbai Police and Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel to respond to a petition filed by Kunal Kamra. The comedian is challenging the FIR filed against him for allegedly to comment “trait” about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during one of his stand-up comedy performances.
The court has now postponed the case till 16 April and has given time to the prosecution to seek instructions from the authorities.
Kunal Kamra’s lawyer has urged the court to allow the comedian to participate in the proceedings through video conferencing, which cites the threats he receives. The lawyer said, “My customer is facing death threats, he has contacted the police three times to record the statement through the video conference, but they (police officers) are emphasizing his physical appearance. We request that Kamra should be considered through the video conference.”
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is published by a syndicated feed.)
