Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has accused BookMyShow of dropping his shows from its platform amid increasing political tensions over his new special, Naya Bharat. Kamra, in an open letter on April 6, claimed that the pullout had suddenly severed him from the audience he had taken more than a decade to build.
In reply, BookMyShow released a statement on April 7 explaining that it does not have control over what shows go or come off its listings. It is entirely up to event organisers or venues, the company explained.
"BookMyShow is an intermediary to enable ticket sale and runs the business in a neutral and in accordance with India's relevant laws," the company said. "Delisting or listing of a show is entirely optional on our part, and they have complete freedom regarding this."
The company also responded to what it termed a misinterpretation of its position in recent public discourse. "Our role is to offer a platform for live show ticket sales and it is the choice of the organiser or the venue to list or delist their shows," the company reaffirmed. It underlined that opinions expressed during shows are not necessarily those of BookMyShow, and artists continue to have the choice to sell tickets through alternative means.
Kamra's row with the ticketing website followed on the back of growing outrage over a sketch in Naya Bharat that triggered political outrage in Maharashtra. The comedian is now facing three FIRs for comments allegedly ridiculing Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, calling him a "traitor."
So little time had elapsed since the firestorm broke, that Kamra's future gigs disappeared from BookMyShow — a move which he read as the site surrendering to politics. In the letter, Kamra expressed the feeling of having been betrayed by a service, which had encouraged his professional development for so many years.
You don't owe me a platform, but you owe your users an explanation," Kamra had written. "When an artist gets delisted for political reasons, the silence from platforms only magnifies the chilling effect."
In the meantime, the Madras High Court has provided Kamra with interim protection from arrest. The court observed that the interim relief would provide him time to approach for anticipatory bail in Mumbai.
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