March 26, 2025: While this is not the first time that standup comedian Kunal Kamra has been targetted for his hard hitting and candid references to Indian politics and politicians, he has now been facing trouble ever since he joked about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. After facing vandalism, the comedian is now receiving threatening calls. According to sources, Kunal has received at least 500 threatening calls. On those calls, he has been threatened with harm and even death. As a result, Kunal is feeling quite disturbed.

Recently, during a show at a hotel in Mumbai, Kunal made jokes in his signature style, taking a dig at Maharashtra's recent political developments and the Shiv Sena split. Without directly naming Eknath Shinde, he sang a satirical song and even called the Deputy Chief Minister a "traitor".

The Sattire that was not taken in spirit

On March 23, Kamra uploaded a video of his performance on YouTube. The performance titled 'Naya Bharat' took place at a hotel venue in Mumbai. In the 45 minute video, Kamra has quipped about the Ambani wedding, Vantara, the political lingo on India's development, India's Finance Minister, and many more, through direct references as well as parody on songs from Bollywood movies. In one such song, without naming the Dy CM of Maharashtra, he made refernce to him as the party's traitor, thereby angering the Dy CMs supporters.

The video of this performance went viral on social media, angering Shinde's supporters. On Sunday, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) supporters vandalized the hotel where the show was recorded. They also filed a complaint against Kunal at the police station and warned him to leave the country.

Kamra's Next Satirical Song Sparks Controversy

In a new video released on Tuesday, stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra can be seen singing, "Hum Honge Kangal…" (translated as "One day we will be poor"). This parody is a twist on the iconic song "Hum Honge Kamiyab" (We Shall Overcome). Kamra has titled it "One of the Anthems of a Developed India."

Translation and Controversial References

If the Hindi lyrics are translated into English, it reads, "One day I will be a poor man, with as much blind faith as I have, leading to the country's destruction." The song also includes references to controversial figures like Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse and self-styled godman Asaram. In the video, Kamra has also included footage of the vandalism caused by Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) supporters at a hotel following his earlier remarks in his earlier video of March 23, titled "Naya Bharat".

Summoned by Police

Just an hour before the video went public, Kamra was summoned by Mumbai Police. Through his lawyer, he requested a week’s extension to respond.

Kunal Kamra’s Defiant Stand

The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation had previously filed a complaint against the comedian. However, Kamra remains defiant. He boldly stated, “I will not apologize. I am not afraid of this crazy crowd, nor am I hiding under the bed. Let’s see how long this takes”.