Kunal Kamra gets support from an unexpected quarter: Indian actress and politician Jaya Bachchan weighs in

Dubai: Indian comedian Kunal Kamra, currently facing a political storm over his recent performance mocking Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has received an unexpected show of support from veteran actress and Samajwadi Party MP, Jaya Bachchan.

According to reports, the veteran parliamentarian and Bollywood veteran condemned the damage caused to a Mumbai venue that hosted Kamra’s show, calling it an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of speech.

Addressing the local media within Parliament’s premises, Bachchan questioned the tightening grip on creative expression in the country.

"What happens when people are told not to speak? There are already so many curbs. Tomorrow, they may tell you not to interview Jaya Bachchan," she was quoted by ANI.

Bachchan went further to call out what she saw as double standards in governance.

“Is this the idea of freedom—where chaos is accepted, where violence and lawlessness thrive, while satire is punished?” she said.

The joke that went South:

The uproar began after a video clip from Kamra’s recent show went viral, where he took a dig at Shinde’s alliance with the BJP, indirectly referring to him as a ‘traitor.’

The clip quickly gained traction online, sparking outrage from leaders of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction. On Sunday, party members vandalised a studio and the Hotel Unicontinental in Khar, claiming the video had been shot there.

The video, which Kamra himself posted, featured a parody of a song from the film Dil To Pagal Hai, with references to “a leader from Thane” and comments aimed at Shinde’s appearance and ties with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Although Shinde wasn’t named directly, the jibes were unmistakable.