Mumbai comedians unite in support of Kunal Kamra in Arnab Goswami case

Kunal Kamra

City-based comedians have come out in support of Kunal Kamra, who has been barred by several airlines for heckling Arnab Goswami onboard an IndiGo flight. They heaped praise on Kamra for showing courage and taking a stand by asking the TV journalist the 'right questions' and are hailing him for his courage to deal with the consequences.

When I first saw Kamra's video questioning Arnab, with the latter unresponsive, I wondered whether this was the best way to hold him accountable. Even though I see him as a hate monger, I thought invading his personal space was crossing a line. But my opinion changed. At some point people like Arnab do need to be held accountable. It is not like he would sit down for a nuanced one-on-one conversation with Kamra, so if the only way to demand answers is on an airplane, so be it," said comedian Abbas Momin.

Support for Kamra has come from all quarters, often in the form of customary jokes. Sapan Verma's viral tweet read, "Some jokes don't land. Some comedians don't fly". East India Comedy's Sorabh Pant's tweeted, "If anyone needs to hire a comedian I can still fly on most airlines".

Anirban Dasgupta

Even those who preferred to lay low in the aftermath of the MeToo movement have chosen to voice their support for the fraternity.

Tanmay Bhat told mid-day, "I've seen worse behaviour go unpunished so I think the ban is ridiculous". Utsav Chakraborty, on the other hand, chose to offer silent support by retweeting Indigo pilot's posts.

Not just that, comedians are going beyond an expression of solidarity to take pride in Kamra's actions, hailing him for his courage and his will to deal with the consequences. "This is not the first time Kamra is facing the consequences of his actions. He has had shows cancelled. And if he is still doing this it is very impressive," said Anirban Dasgupta. "I am happy to be part of a community that is speaking in some capacity," he added.

Comedian Kajal Shrinivasan who tweets under the popular handle LOL Rakshak said she respects Kamra for taking a stand and comedians have always been easy targets on social media. "I'd like to believe it is because satire is a powerful tool," she added.

Dasgupta believes that this is also something that goes beyond the community. "It is important to remember we are not just comedians but citizens. We are as alarmed by the situation as many other Indians," he said. However, Vir Das, who has never shied away from raising his voice whenever it mattered, remained silent on the issue.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates