Kunal Kamra's Appeal to BookMyShow: A Fight for Art and Audience

Indian comedian Kunal Kamra stirred up a storm after news broke that BookMyShow, a popular ticketing platform, had dropped his shows. The decision came after his latest performance took a jab at Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, riling up Shiv Sena supporters and landing him in legal hot water. Not one to back down, Kamra wrote an open letter to BookMyShow, asking them not to cut him off or at least to share the contact details of fans who’d attended his solo gigs over the years.

In his letter, which spread like wildfire online, Kamra admitted he understood why BookMyShow might want to stay on good terms with the authorities, especially in a bustling city like Mumbai where big events depend on government support. But he didn’t hold back on calling out what he sees as a flaw in their system. He argued that by stopping artists from selling tickets on their own websites, BookMyShow has basically locked him out of reaching the fans he’s entertained since 2017. "I request one of the following: Do not delist me, or provide me with the data (contact information) I've generated through your platform from my audience," he pleaded.

BookMyShow hit back with a statement, saying the story wasn’t quite right. They insisted they don’t call the shots on who gets listed—event organizers and venues do. "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," they explained, adding that artists can take their shows elsewhere if they want.

This clash has sparked a bigger conversation about whether artists should be free to speak their minds and how much power platforms like BookMyShow really have. Kamra’s fans say kicking him off is like silencing him, while others think the company’s just playing it safe under political heat. With legal cases and threats piling up, Kamra’s stuck in a tough spot. It’s unclear if BookMyShow will budge, but one thing’s for sure, this tug-of-war between a comedian and a ticketing giant has people talking.