Kunal Kamra row: Comedian accuses T-Series of unfair copyright strike on his YouTube video

Kunal Kamra

Comedian Kunal Kamra has been making headlines ever since he uploaded his 45-minute comedy special Naya Bharat on his YouTube channel. Parts of the video, where Kamra allegedly made remarks about Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, caused an uproar. Members of Shinde's Shiv Sena vandalized the venue where Kamra recorded his act - The Habitat, Khar. The vandalism was followed by a legal case against the comedian.

Kunal Kamra calls out T-Series

While the video is still available on YouTube, Kamra has accused music company T-Series of issuing an unfair copyright strike. In his special, he used popular Bollywood tracks to create parody songs. He has now received a copyright strike from T-Series, one of the biggest production houses in India, which owns several Indian songs used in films.

Reacting to the strike, Kamra took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:

"Hello @TSeries, stop being a stooge.

Parody & satire come under fair use legally.

I haven't used the lyrics or the original instrumental of the song.

If you take this video down, every cover song/dance video can be taken down.
Creators, please take note of it.

Having said that, every monopoly in India is nothing short of a mafia, so please watch/download this special before it's taken down.
FYI - T-Series, I stay in Tamil Nadu."

He also shared a screenshot of the copyright strike he received on his YouTube video.

Political Uproar Over Kamra's Joke

According to ANI, Kamra sparked a political uproar with his controversial "gaddar" (traitor) joke, which was allegedly directed at Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde. His remarks during a stand-up performance led to strong reactions from political circles, with multiple leaders condemning his statements and demanding legal action.

ANI reports that Kamra responded to the backlash by releasing a new video on Tuesday, in which he ridiculed Shiv Sena workers for vandalizing The Habitat, a well-known comedy venue in Mumbai where he had previously performed. The attack on the comedy club was carried out in protest against his remarks.

Kunal Kamra refuses to apologise

Kamra, on his part, has refused to apologize for his stand-up act. In his statement, he said:

"I will not apologize. What I said is exactly what Mr. Ajit Pawar (First Deputy Chief Minister) said about Mr. Eknath Shinde (Second Deputy Chief Minister). I don't fear this mob, and I will not be hiding under my bed, waiting for this to die down."

He further stated, "However, I am willing to cooperate with the police and courts for any lawful action taken against me. But will the law be fairly and equally deployed against those who have decided that vandalism is the appropriate response to being offended by a joke? And against the unelected members of the BMC, who arrived today at Habitat without prior notice and tore the place down with hammers? Perhaps for my next venue, I will opt for Elphinstone Bridge, or any other structure in Mumbai that's in need of speedy demolition."