Filmmaker Hansal Mehta Recalls His Own Trauma As He Defends Kunal Kamra Amid Controversy
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has come out in support of comedian Kunal Kamra, who is facing backlash for his remarks about Eknath Shinde.
New Delhi: Comedian Kunal Kamra is receiving a lot of hate because of comments he made regarding Eknath Shinde, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has come out in support of Kamra. He strongly condemned the culture of intimidation and violence in a strong social media post, comparing it to what he went through 25 years ago with the premiere of his dark comedy 'Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar'.
Hansal Mehta recounted his own terrifying experience with similar political retaliation in his post. He wrote, "What happened with Kamra is, sadly, not new to Maharashtra. I’ve lived through it myself. Twenty-five years ago, loyalists of the same (then undivided) political party stormed into my office. They vandalised it, physically assaulted me, blackened my face, and forced me to apologise publicly—by falling at the feet of an elderly woman—for a single line of dialogue in my film."
He continued, "The line was harmless, almost trivial. The film had already been cleared by the Censor Board with 27 other cuts. But that didn’t matter. At the so-called “apology” venue, at least 20 political figures arrived in full strength to oversee what can only be described as a public shaming—with 10,000 onlookers and the Mumbai Police watching in silence."
He also discussed the long-term effects of it and said, "That incident didn’t just bruise my body. It bruised my spirit. It blunted my filmmaking, muted my courage, and silenced parts of me that took years to reclaim."
Hansal Mehta said that such brutal and humiliating actions can never be condoned. "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," he concluded.
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. They vandalised it, physically assaulted me, blackened my face, and forced me to…
Kunal Kamra's Controversial Remark
In a spoof of a Hindi song from the 2000 film 'Dil To Pagal Hai', Kamra referred to Shinde as a "traitor" (Gaddar) during a performance at a hotel over the weekend, sparking uproar. This remark was a reference to the uprising that tore the Shiv Sena apart in 2022 and ultimately brought down the Uddhav Thackeray administration.
As a result of the comments, the Shiv Sena has responded strongly, with party members calling for Kamra's imprisonment. Even the office of the show's location, The Unicontinental Mumbai, was vandalised by party supporters. A member of the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) named Sanjay Nirupam also made a threat to "thrash" Kamra. As a result, the police have taken action by filing a complaint against Kamra and the vandalised Sena members.
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