'Artists are solely responsible': Mumbai studio shuts down after Shiv Sena workers vandalise club over Kunal Kamra's controversy
Entertainment | Trending Comedian Kunal Kamra found himself in a new controversy after he cracked a joke on politician Eknath Shinde when he was shooting his new show titled Naya Bharat.
Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra’s controversial words against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have stirred a major uproad. Amidst the backlash, the Habitat Comedy Club has announced its closure after being vandalized by workers from the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction).
In a video that has gone viral, Kamra mocked Shinde’s 2022 rebellion against then Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Mumbai Studio Shuts Down
A day after the workers of the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) vandalised the studio as an action against Kamra's words, the studio decided to shut down temporarily.
Expressing shock against the violence, the studio said in a statement that artists are solely responsible for their views and creative choices.
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In a statement shared on Instagram, they wrote, “We are shocked, worried and extremely broken by the recent acts of vandalism targeting us.''
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“Artists are solely responsible for their views and creative choices. We have never been involved in the content performed by any Artist, but the recent events have made us rethink about how we get blamed and targeted every time almost like we are a proxy for the performer," the statement reads.
“We are shutting down till we figure out the best way to provide a platform for free expression without putting ourselves and our property in jeopardy. We invite all artists, audience and stakeholders to discuss and share their views freely and request your guidance so that we also respect the performers’ rights," the studio wrote in the post.
On Sunday (March 23) night, angry members of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena damaged the renowned Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, Mumbai, where the show was recorded. For the unversed, it is the same venue where Ranveer Allahbadia's controversial ‘India’s Got Latent’ episode was shot.
What is this controversy all about?
Kamra found himself in a new controversy after he mocked politician Eknath Shinde when he was shooting his new show titled Naya Bharat.
Talking about Maharashtra politics, he talked about Shinde's 2022 rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray, referring to Shinde as a “traitor” (gaddar).
Shiv Sena leader files FIR against Kunal Kamra
Shiv Sena leader Rahul Kanal filed an FIR, alleging "pre-planned criminal conspiracy and a systematic paid campaign to malign the reputation, image and goodwill of Shri Eknath Shinde."
