NEW DELHI: Comedian Kunal Kamra on Wednesday hit out at T-Series, sharing a screenshot showing that the visibility and monetisation of his standup special ‘Naya Bharat’ was disabled for copyright violation. Kamra called the music label a “stooge” and urging fellow creators to take note.
“Parody & satire comes under fair use legally,” Kamra said on X, asserting that he had not used the original song’s lyrics or instrumental.
The controversy surrounding Kamra erupted after he performed a parody song targeting Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. His ‘joke’ led to a breach of privilege notice in the state legislative council, with BJP legislator Pravin Darekar accusing him of making “personal and insulting” references to Shinde.
Lashing out at T-Series, Kamra warned that if his video was removed, every cover song or dance video could also face the same fate. “Every monopoly in India is nothing short of a mafia,” he added.
The uproar against the comedian intensified when Shiv Sena activists vandalised the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai, where Kamra had performed. The police have since registered an FIR against him following a complaint from Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, summoning Kamra for questioning.
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Despite the backlash, Kamra has remained defiant. “I will not apologise or hide under the bed,” he said, dismissing the attacks on his content as politically motivated. His supporters, including filmmaker Hansal Mehta and politician Priyanka Chaturvedi, have condemned the backlash, while BJP leaders and actor Kangana Ranaut have criticised him for disrespecting Shinde.
Shinde himself responded to the row, saying, “There is freedom of speech, but there should be limits.” Meanwhile, Maharashtra minister Gulab Patil warned Kamra of “consequences” if he did not apologise.