The ticketing platform BookMyShow responded after stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra released a public statement asking them not to ‘delist’ him and provide him with accurate information. Their statement says ‘facts have been misrepresented’ revealing their role in the issue. (Also Read: Varun Grover takes a dig at Mumbai Police for summoning Kunal Kamra’s audience: ‘Uske show mein jaao aur dekho…’)
BookMyShow releases statement
BookMyShow released a statement about how they’re a platform to ‘facilitate the sale of tickets’ and how they’re a ‘business with neutrality in compliance with the applicable laws of India’. Their statement also says, “Facts on our role have been misrepresented in the public domain. Our role is to provide a platform for ticket sales of live shows and it is the decision of the organiser or the venue to list or delist their shows.”
The statement also claims that the content of the performance is ‘solely at the discretion of the performer or the organiser’ and that it doesn’t ‘represent their views’. “We do not restrict any artist from selling their show on their website, should they choose to do so,” they wrote, adding that their platform is about ‘bringing people together through shared experiences regardless of their beliefs’.
Kunal Kamra’s appeal to BookMyShow
Kunal wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Dear @bookmyshow- I still don’t know if I have your platform or no. Below is humble view – To the audiences I’m not a fan of boycotts or down rating a private business… Book my show is well within their right to do what’s best for their business |” This comes after there were allegations of the platform delisting his shows amid controversy.
In the note he posted on X, he wrote, “Dear BookMyShow, I understand that you need to maintain a cordial relationship with the state, and I know that Mumbai is a major hub for live entertainment. Without the state’s cooperation, iconic shows like Coldplay and Guns N’ Roses wouldn’t be possible.”
“However, the issue at hand isn’t about whether you can or will delist me — it’s about your exclusive right on listing our shows. By not allowing artists to list their shows through their own websites, you’ve effectively prevented me from accessing the audience I’ve performed for from 2017 to 2025.”
He ended his note with, “Do not delist me, or provide me with the data (contact information) I’ve generated through your platform from my audience.”
The comic sang a parody of Bholi Si Surat, a popular song from the Bollywood movie Dil To Pagal Hai at one of his shows. With this parody song, he allegedly targeted Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, leading to multiple FIRs against him. Following the controversy, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena youth group, Yuva Sena, vandalised the Habitat comedy venue where the show was filmed.
With inputs from ANI
