‘Stop being a stooge’: Kunal Kamra hits out at T-Series; alleges music label issued copyright notice on his stand-up video

MUMBAI: Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has accused music company T-Series of issuing a copyright strike on his latest stand-up video, ‘Naya Bharat’, on YouTube.

Kamra, who is already facing criticism for his joke referring to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a “gaddar” (traitor), has now targeted T-Series.

In a post on X, Kamra claimed that he did not use the original lyrics or instrumental of the song in question. Criticising the music company, he wrote, “Hello @TSeries, stop being a stooge. Parody & satire come under fair use legally. I haven’t used the lyrics or the original instrumental of the song. If you take this video down, every cover song/dance video can be taken down. Creators, please take note of this”.

He also accused monopolies in India of behaving like a “mafia” and added, “Having said that, every monopoly in India is nothing short of a mafia, so please watch/download this special before it’s taken down. FYI – T-Series, stay in Tamil Nadu”.

Take a look:

Hello @TSeries, stop being a stooge.

Parody & Satire comes under fair use Legally.

I haven’t used the lyrics or the original instrumental of the song.

If you take this video down every cover song/dance video can be taken down.
Creators please take a note of it.

Having said… pic.twitter.com/Q8HXl1UhMy

— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) March 26, 2025

Kamra recently sparked a row with his “gaddar” (traitor) joke, allegedly aimed at Eknath Shinde. Several political leaders condemned his remarks during a stand-up show and demanded action against him.

On Tuesday, Kamra shared a new video mocking Shiv Sena workers for vandalizing The Habitat comedy club in Mumbai, where he had previously performed. Reacting to the controversy, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said, “Our CM Devendra Fadnavis had responded to this issue on behalf of the government. Our CM has said that action will be taken as per the law.”

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took a strong stand against Kamra’s remarks. Speaking in the state Assembly on Monday, he said the government would not allow freedom of expression to become a tool for spreading “tyranny.”

The Chief Minister said, “We appreciate humor and satire. We accept political satire, but we do not accept freedom of expression if it leads to tyranny.” He stated that Kamra staged “low-quality” comedy. “This artist makes statements against the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice; he wants to gain fame by creating controversy. He targeted Eknath Shinde and staged low-quality comedy,” the CM said, adding that the people will decide whether Eknath Shinde is a traitor or a selfish person. (ANI)