Hansal Mehta backs Kunal Kamra, shares his own assault story
What's the story
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has come out in defense of comedian Kunal Kamra, who has been facing backlash for his joke on Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.
Mehta denounced the vandalism at Mumbai's The Habitat after Kamra's performance and remembered a similar incident he endured 25 years ago.
He wrote on X, "No matter how sharp the provocation—violence, intimidation, and humiliation can never be justified."
"What happened with Kamra is, sadly, not new to Maharashtra. I've lived through it myself."
Twitter Post
Read Mehta's post
What happened with Kamra is, sadly, not new to Maharashtra. I’ve lived through it myself.
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) March 24, 2025
Twenty-five years ago, loyalists of the same (then undivided) political party stormed into my office.me, blackened my face, and forced me to… They vandalised it, physically assaulted
Past incident
Mehta recalled being assaulted for a 'harmless' dialogue
Mehta recalled an incident when political party loyalists vandalized his office, thrashed him, and forced him to apologize publicly for a "single line of dialogue" in his film Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar!! (2000).
He claimed, "The line was harmless, almost trivial. The film had already been cleared by the Censor Board with 27 other cuts."
He asserted that it dulled his creativity, stifled his bravery, and left him voiceless for years before he could regain it.
Mehta's statement
'We owe ourselves dialogue, dissent, and dignity'
Reflecting on the past incident, Mehta added, "No matter how deep the disagreement, no matter how sharp the provocation—violence, intimidation, and humiliation can never be justified."
"We owe ourselves, and each other, better. We owe ourselves dialogue, dissent, and dignity."
Meanwhile, Kamra, who performed a parody of Shah Rukh Khan's Bholi Si Surat to mock Shinde, is facing backlash from Shiv Sena party members. However, the comedian has refused to apologize.
Kamra's response
Kamra defended his freedom of speech and criticized media bias
In a statement on Monday night, Kamra criticized political leaders for protesting against his remarks.
He said, "Our right to freedom of speech and expression is not only to be used to fawn over the powerful and rich even though today's media would have us believe otherwise."
He asserted that refusing to accept a joke about a public figure does not undermine his right to free expression, as there is no law against satirizing political leaders or exposing political absurdities.
Kamra's defiance
'I don't fear this mob': Kamra's defiance amid controversy
Kamra also took on the political leaders who threatened to "teach him a lesson."
He stood up for his freedom of speech, saying, "I will not apologize. What I said is exactly what Mr. Ajit Pawar (1st Deputy CM) said about Mr. Eknath Shinde (2nd Deputy CM). I don't fear this mob."
Twitter Post
'I will not apologize'
My Statement - pic.twitter.com/QZ6NchIcsM
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) March 24, 2025