Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has penned an open letter to ticketing platform BookMyShow after it delisted him and removed his content amid a political controversy involving Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. In the letter, posted on X (formerly Twitter), Kamra urged the platform to share the contact details of audiences who had booked tickets for his solo shows through the portal between 2017 and 2025.
Kamra acknowledged BookMyShow’s business interests and the need to maintain a “cordial relationship with the state,” especially since Mumbai is a major entertainment hub. “Without the state’s cooperation, iconic shows like Coldplay and Guns N’ Roses wouldn’t be possible,” he wrote. However, he criticized the platform’s exclusive rights model, which he said restricts artists from directly accessing their own audiences.
The controversy began after Kamra performed a parody of the song Bholi Si Surat at Mumbai’s Habitat studio, referring to Eknath Shinde as a “gaddar” (traitor)—a term frequently used by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray against Shinde, who led a 2022 rebellion that toppled Thackeray’s government. Following the show, Shinde’s supporters vandalized the Habitat studio, which later shut down, citing a lack of control over performer content. Civic authorities also demolished parts of the venue, citing building violations—a move widely seen as politically motivated.
Kamra faces multiple legal cases over the episode and has reportedly skipped three summons. The Madras High Court has granted him interim protection from arrest.
In his letter, Kamra stated that BookMyShow charges a 10% cut for listing shows, yet comedians still spend significant amounts—₹6,000 to ₹10,000 daily—on advertising to reach their audience. “No matter how big or small a comedian is, we are all compelled to spend on advertising… This cost is an additional burden,” he said.
He requested the platform either refrain from delisting him or provide him with data on his show attendees. “The least I deserve, should you choose to delist me, is access to them,” Kamra added. He also acknowledged potential concerns around data privacy but noted that “the question of who protects what data, and from whom, is a much broader conversation.”
The delisting came after Shiv Sena leader Rahool Kanal urged BookMyShow to stop providing a platform to Kamra. Following the removal, Kanal thanked the platform, saying it kept “such artists out of the list of pure entertainment,” adding that Mumbaikars value art, not personal agendas.
Sources By Agencies
