Hansal Mehta backs Kunal Kamra, recalls being ‘publicly shamed, physically assaulted and his office being vandalised’ by same party: ‘It muted my courage’

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.”

Hansal further revealed that even though his film had already been cleared by the censor board, the mob still demanded an apology, which he was forced to give in the presence of prominent political figures. “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 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…

— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) March 24, 2025

The filmmaker admitted that the incident not only bruised his body but also crushed his spirit, dulled his filmmaking, and muted his courage. He ended his note by emphasizing that violence, intimidation, and humiliation can never be justified.

In another tweet, a netizen attempted to accuse Hansal, claiming that action was taken against him over a poster of his film Shahid, which was based on the life of lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi. However, Hansal shut down the misinformation, responding, “Fake news. It was not for Shahid. It was for a film called Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar. Go spread your fake news and hatred elsewhere. A**hole.”

Fake news. It was not for Shahid. It was for a film called Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar. Go spread your fake news and hatred elsewhere. A**hole https://t.co/koWs8Mtlk2

— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) March 24, 2025

Hansal Mehta ordeal after Dil Pe Mat le Yaar release

Hansal mehta had recalled how people residing in the Koliwala community agitated against the film for an allegedly “offensive dialogue,” that they claimed reflected “poorly on the community.” Hansal had told Siddharth Kannan in an interview, “Three weeks after the film’s release, some people who took offence to a dialogue in the film came to my office. They had not even seen the film. One of them had a camera and asked me to apologise. To control the situation, I apologised on the camera. However, a few days later, I received a call from another person who was in my office while I was home,” Mehta recalled.

Hansal sought help from his friend, actor and poet, Kishor Kadam, who belongs to the locality. However, the mob threatened to set his house on fire. They vandalised Hansal’s office and tore his clothes. They demanded that he should visit Khar Danda and offer a public apology. When the filmmaker reached the area with officials of Mumbai Police, thousands were waiting for them. “They were chanting slogans and demanded that I touch an elderly woman’s feet and seek forgiveness. They also blackened by face. Seeing this, Kishor broke down and told me, ‘These are the same people who attended my events and clicked pictures with me and look what they did to us. I feel violated.’ The incident broke me,” he shared.

Kunal Kamra ‘gaddar’ jibe at Eknath Shinde

In his stand-up special, Kamra referred to Eknath Shinde’s 2022 defection from the undivided Shiv Sena and called him a ‘gaddar’ (traitor). His comment sparked strong opposition from members of Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction. While an FIR has been registered against Kamra, Yuva Sena general secretary Rahul Kanal has been booked for leading the attack on the Mumbai studio. The police also detained 20 Sena activists in connection with the vandalism. The comedian has refused to apologise, saying he will not bow down to the mob.