Following stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra's controversial remarks on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde triggering a political storm in the state, filmmaker Hansal Mehta recalled an incident from 25 years ago that "bruised" his body and spirit.
In a statement on his 'X' social media handle, the Shahid and Scam 1992 filmmaker wrote that what happened with Kamra is nothing new.
"Twenty-five years ago, loyalists of the same (then undivided) political party stormed into my office. They vandalised it, physically assaulted me, blackened my face, and forced me to apologise publicly—by falling at the feet of an elderly woman—for a single line of dialogue in my film," he wrote.
What happened with Kamra is, sadly, not new to Maharashtra. I’ve lived through it myself.
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) March 24, 2025
Twenty-five years ago, loyalists of the same (then undivided) political party stormed into my office. They vandalised it, physically assaulted me, blackened my face, and forced me to…
Mehta is referring to his film Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar. Mehta felt that the line was "harmless, almost trivial" and despite the film getting cleared by the Censor Board with 27 additional cuts, he was still manhandled. "At the so-called 'apology' venue, at least 20 political figures arrived in full strength to oversee what can only be described as a public shaming—with 10,000 onlookers and the Mumbai Police watching in silence," Mehta recalled, adding that the incident "blunted my filmmaking, muted my courage, and silenced parts of me that took years to reclaim."
Concluding his note with the line that violence, intimidation, and humiliation cannot be a justifiable reaction regardless of how deep the disagreement is or how sharp the provocation is. "We owe ourselves, and each other, better. We owe ourselves dialogue, dissent, and dignity," he signed off.
