Now Reading: India has developed fear of political satire, says filmmaker
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India has developed fear of political satire, says filmmaker
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…
The Story in Brief
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.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that India has become uniquely fearful of political satire after 2014 ignores long-standing legal and social pressures on comedians across regimes. Apurva Asrani's account of police protection and recording bans is genuine risk management, not a new chilling effect. Until we see comparable data on cancelled shows, legal cases, and audience self-censorship from earlier eras, the claim remains anecdotal. Watch whether Kunal Kamra's next tour fills venues without police security.
Source: news.abplive.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
