Mumbai:
Protesting against Shiv Sena workers’ vandalism at Mumbai’s Habitat studio, a popular comic has said it is not “Kunal Kamra’s studio” and thousands of artists perform there. Abijit Ganguly has said damaging the studio over Kunal Kamra’s remarks against Sena chief Eknath Shinde was like vandalising a residential complex because Kunal Kamra visited it once.
“Can people at least apply basic common sense and stop calling it Kunal Kamra’s studio? It’s a performing arts venue. A venue that doesn’t have anything to do with Kamra. Thousand other artist(s) perform there. Even the biggest Kamra hater has to realise this is akin to Kamra appearing in your society tomorrow and people coming in and breaking down your whole society because he was there once,” he said in a post on X.
Can people at least apply basic common sense and stop calling it Kunal Kamra’s studio. It’s a performing arts venue. A venue that doesn’t have anything to do with Kamra. Thousand other artist perform there.
Even the biggest Kamra hater has to realise this is akin to Kamra…— Abijit Ganguly (@AbijitG) March 24, 2025
In another post, Mr Ganguly asked if the Parliament would be razed if Kunal Kamra shot a video in front of it. The exasperated comic asked if people in India could joke about anyone. “If you do it on politicians, they demolish the venue. If you do it on cricketers or actors, their fans and PR army abuses you for two months. If you do crowdwork, intellectuals say it’s not real comedy. If you do it on your wife, woke people call you sexist. If you do it on your parents, some say you are discourteous. Haathi, cheenti, please come back,” he said, referring to the evergreen elephant-ant jokes.
Habitat studio is a preferred venue for stand-up comedy shows by popular comics. It made headlines last month too, when YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia made crass remarks at a roast show, India’s Got Latent, shot at the studio.
Earlier today, the studio management said they had decided to shut the premises for now and pointed out that they are not responsible for the views of the artists performing on the premises.
“We are shocked, worried and extremely broken by the recent acts of vandalism targeting us. 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.”
“”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 said.
Earlier, the studio had said in a social media post that it was not involved in the making of Kunal Kamra’s latest video and “does not endorse the views expressed by it”. “We extend a sincere and heartfelt apology to all those hurt by this video,” it said after a group of Sena workers entered the premises in Khar and damaged property to protest against the comic’s remarks against Mr Shinde. Visuals showed Sena workers swinging chairs at cameras, lights and speakers at the studio.
In a show shot last month, Kunal Kamra targeted Mr Shinde with a parody version of ‘Bholi Si Surat’, a popular song from the 1997 blockbuster Dil To Pagal Hai. He used the ‘gaddar’ (traitor) jibe against the Shiv Sena leader, who led a rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray in 2022, bringing down his government and splitting the party. Multiple FIRs have been filed against the comic, including one based on a complaint by minister Pratap Sarnaik.