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Filmmaker Hansal Mehta and actor-MP Kangana Ranaut clashed online over the ongoing crackdown on stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for his satirical remarks about Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde. Their exchange took place against the backdrop of a broader controversy surrounding the vandalism of a Mumbai studio in response to Kamra’s jokes and the civic body’s subsequent action against the venue for alleged building violations. Many have drawn parallels between this incident and the demolition of Ms. Ranaut’s Mumbai office under the Uddhav Thackeray government in 2020.
Mr. Mehta highlighted an abusive post directed at Kunal Kamra, prompting an X user to question why he had not spoken against the demolition of Ms. Ranaut’s property. In response, Mehta asked, “Was her house vandalized? Did goons enter her premises? Was it done to challenge her freedom of expression or for alleged FSI violations? Please enlighten me. Maybe I don’t know the facts.”
Ms. Ranaut swiftly countered, recounting her ordeal. “They called me names like ‘haramkhor,’ threatened me, served a notice late at night to my watchman, and the next morning, before courts could intervene, bulldozers demolished the entire house. The High Court later declared the demolition completely illegal. They laughed at my suffering and publicly celebrated my humiliation,” she wrote.
She then launched a personal attack on Mehta, calling his work “third class.” “It seems your insecurity and mediocrity have not only made you bitter and stupid but also blinded you. This isn’t some third-class series or atrocious films you make. Don’t try to sell your dumb lies and agendas regarding my ordeal. Stay out of it,” she added. Mehta, known for critically acclaimed films like Shahid and Aligarh, as well as the popular web series Scam 1992, simply responded, “Get well soon.”
In a separate post, Mehta reflected on his own past experiences with political backlash, stating that what happened with Kamra “is not new to Maharashtra.” “Twenty-five years ago, loyalists of the same (then undivided) political party stormed into my office. They vandalized it, physically assaulted me, blackened my face, and forced me to publicly apologize—by falling at the feet of an elderly woman—for a single line of dialogue in my film,” he recounted.
He added that the film had already been cleared by the Censor Board with 27 cuts, but that did not prevent the attack. “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. 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.”
Mehta concluded by emphasizing the importance of civil discourse. “No matter how deep the disagreement or 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.”
In September 2020, Kangana Ranaut’s Mumbai office was partially demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), citing encroachment. However, the timing of the action raised questions, as it came amid a bitter spat between Ms. Ranaut and Shiv Sena leaders following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The Bombay High Court later ruled in her favor, halting the demolition and questioning the BMC’s motives.
Earlier today, Ms. Ranaut criticized Kunal Kamra’s jokes about Mr. Shinde, arguing that mocking someone for their humble background was unacceptable. She acknowledged that the 2020 demolition of her office was “illegal,” but claimed that the current action against the comedian was “legal.”
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