# India has developed fear of political satire, says filmmaker 2026-08-10T09:14:07+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Filmmaker Apurva M Asrani attended Kunal Kamra's stand-up show in Bengaluru, where police provided security and audience recording was banned. Asrani said he felt like walking into a 'potential danger zone' to watch comedy. Several of Kamra's earlier shows in another Bengaluru locality were cancelled after right-wing groups threatened disruption. Asrani contrasted the freedom to mock political leaders before 2014 with what he called a 'growing fear of laughing' in 2026. He said politicians like Manmohan Singh and Rajiv Gandhi were once lampooned without being seen as treason. Backstage, Asrani met Kamra and comedian Shyam Rangeela, who performed as Prime Minister Modi. Asrani found Kamra vulnerable and self-deprecating, not bitter despite facing harassment after jokes about Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. ## Coverage - news.abplive.com Tags: Apurva Asrani, Bengaluru, comedy, freedom of speech, Kunal Kamra, political satire Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-has-developed-fear-of-political-satire-says-filmmaker/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-has-developed-fear-of-political-satire-says-filmmaker/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.