Comedian Kunal Kamra took to social media to announce that he has rejected an offer to participate in the upcoming season of reality show Bigg Boss, which is hosted by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. The standup comedian who has landed in controversy after his jibe at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, feels he would “rather check into a mental hospital” than taking part in the show.

Meanwhile, online ticketing platform BookMyShow has issued a statement addressing allegations that it delisted comedian Kunal Kamra and his shows amid political controversy.

Kunal Kamra refuses ‘Bigg Boss’ offer

Taking to Instagram, Kamra shared a screenshot of his chat with the reality show’s casting director, who had reached out to him with an offer to take part in the show.

In the screenshot, the casting director’s message reads, “I am handling the casting for this season of Bigg Boss and your name came up as someone they might find interesting. I know it might not have been on your radar, but honestly, it’s such a mad platform to show your real vibe and win over a massive audience. What do you think? Should we talk about it?”

Replying to the message, the comedian wrote, “I would much rather check into a mental hospital..”

Kamra’s “traitor” jibe at Eknath Shinde

Kamra, known for his satirical style of comedy, landed in controversy after his recent stand-up show at the Unicontinental Hotel in Mumbai’s Khar area, where he mocked Shinde’s defection from the Shiv Sena and his alliance with the BJP by allegedly calling him a “gaddar” (traitor) in an indirect manner. The jokes, which included a parody of a song from the Bollywood movie “Dil To Pagal Hai”, were aimed at Shinde, even though Kamra did not mention him by name. His performance quickly gained attention on social media, following which it triggered a series of protests and even violence.

Kunal Kamra vs BookMyShow

Kunal Kamra recently criticised BookMyShow, after the portal removed his content and delisted him due to the row. Kamra posted an open letter on X (formerly Twitter) addressing BookMyShow, expressing understanding of the platform’s need to maintain good relations with the state government. He acknowledged that events like Coldplay and Guns N’ Roses concerts depend on such cooperation.

However, Kamra criticised the ticketing platform’s exclusive right to list shows, pointing out that it has blocked artists like him from directly reaching their audience. The comedian said that he has been performing since 2017, and now, he no longer has access to his audience due to the delisting.

BookMyShow’s Reply to Kunal Kamra

The online ticketing platform has issued a statement addressing allegations that it delisted comedian Kunal Kamra and his shows amid political controversy. Responding to Kamra’s open letter on X, BookMyShow clarified that it has not removed Kamra or his performances from its platform, emphasising that decisions regarding show listings are made by organisers or venues.

“Facts on our role have been misrepresented in the public domain. Our role is to provide a platform for ticket sales of live shows, and it is the decision of the organiser or the venue to list or delist their shows.

The content of each performance is solely at the discretion of the performer or the organiser (as the case may be) and does not bear any representation of our views. We work with all venues and promoters on mutually agreed upon commercials to provide our ticketing service, as would be the case with any business. We do not restrict any artist from selling their show on their own website, should they choose to do so.

Our platform is about bringing people together through shared experiences, regardless of their beliefs. We remain committed to delivering the best possible service and experience for everybody,” the company stated.

Kunal Kamra gets extended relief Till April 17

The Madras High Court on Monday extended interim protection from arrest to Kunal Kamra until April 17, in a case related to multiple FIRs filed against him over a satirical parody song allegedly mocking Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.