Hansal defends Kunal amidst controversy

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has spoken out in support of comedian Kunal Kamra, who is facing backlash following his remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
In a strongly-worded post on social media, Mehta condemned the culture of violence and intimidation while recalling a similar experience he faced 25 years ago with his dark comedy 'Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar!!'
Taking to his Twitter handle, he penned a note which began, "What happened with Kamra is, sadly, not new to Maharashtra. I’ve lived through it myself." Looking back to the time when "loyalists of the same (then undivided) political party stormed into my office" and vandalised his space, he wrote, "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."

Recalling the insident that caused the controversy, he wrote, "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."
Mehta stated, "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."
Reflecting on the past incident, he added, "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. 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.
Hansal's 2000 film not only failed to make an impact but also led to a series of unfortunate events for the filmmaker in the following months. It received harsh criticism from both audiences and reviewers, flopped at the box office, and drove Mehta into bankruptcy and alcoholism.
The controversy surrounding Kunal Kamra erupted after his recent YouTube video took a swipe at Eknath Shinde. Kamra, known for his outspoken critiques of political figures, has refused to apologise despite mounting pressure.
Following his remarks, Shiv Sena workers vandalised the Habitat Centre in Mumbai on Sunday in protest. In a defiant statement on social media, Kamra declared, "I will not apologise. What I said is exactly what Mr. Ajit Pawar (1st Deputy CM) said about Mr. Eknath Shinde (2nd Deputy CM). I don't fear this mob, and I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down."
Kamra also addressed political leaders who threatened to "teach him a lesson." He defended his right to freedom of speech, stating, "Our right to

freedom of speech

and expression is not only to be used to fawn over the powerful and rich, even though today's media would have us believe otherwise." He added that joking about public figures is not illegal to his knowledge.
The comedian, however, expressed his willingness to cooperate with lawful investigations but questioned whether the law would be equally applied to those who resort to vandalism.