Kunal Kamra asks BookMyShow to not delist him, share contact of audiences from his shows
New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI): Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra on Monday wrote an open letter to BookMyShow requesting the online ticketing platform to either not delist him or to hand over the contact information of audience members he has earned through his solo shows over the years.
The letter, which he shared on his X page, comes days after Shiv Sena claimed BookMyShow had taken Kamra off the sale and artists list from its platform amid ongoing controversy around his 'traitor' jibe against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
"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...
"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," Kamra said in his two-page letter.
On April 5, the Mumbai-born comedian -- who is now a permanent resident of Tamil Nadu -- had asked BookMyShow whether the reports of him being delisted from the platform were true.
"Hello @bookmyshow can you please confirm if I have your platform to list my shows if not it’s fine. I understand… (sic)" he wrote on X.
On Monday, the comedian also addressed his audiences calling for a boycott of the platform over the news of Kamra being delisted as an artist.
He said he was "not a fan of boycotts or down rating a private business".
"BookMyShow is well within their right to do what's best for their business (sic). 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 further stated in the letter.
According to Kamra, BookMyShow takes a 10 per cent cut of revenue for listing shows.
"However, this raises an important point: No matter how big or small a comedian is, we are all compelled to spend between 6,000 to 10,000 rupees a day on advertising to reach our own audience. This cost is an additional burden that we, as artists, must bear."
Kamra said one might argue that data protection is a concern, but the question of "who protects what data, and from whom, is a much broader conversation".
"What I'm requesting is simple: please ensure that you hand over the contact information of the audiences you've collected from my solo shows so that I can continue living my life with dignity and work towards a fair livelihood. As a solo artist, especially in the world of comedy, we are both the show and the production.
"For instance, if I performed at the Pune Comedy Festival with 30 other artists, that would be considered comedy's collective data. But my solo shows-that's my audience. The least I deserve, should you choose to delist me, is access to them," he wrote.
Kamra's letter comes the same day the comedian moved the Bombay High Court, seeking to quash an FIR lodged against him by the city police for his alleged remarks against Shinde, with the Madras High Court extending his interim anticipatory bail in relation to the case till April 17.
The comic also claimed he has been receiving death threats after the show and hence, requested the police to question him via video conference.
Some social media users have expressed support for Kamra and said they would delete the BookMyShow app if he is delisted as an artist on the platform.
A social media user wrote, "I have decided to #BoycottBookMyShow. What kind of an app tries to hold responsibility for the show content. To whoever tried to force you on Kunal Kamra, @bookmyshow just had to say 'we are not responsible for show content'. You couldn't do that much!"
Another said, "If BookMyShow removed Kunal Kamra from its app. Why don't we all uninstall the BookMyShow app from our phones? 1.They are exercising their freedom; we must exercise ours. 2.If they censor what we like, we should censor what we dislike. #boycottbookmyshow #istandwithkunalkamra."
Kamra is at the centre of a major political controversy in Maharashtra for his comments about Shinde, which he made during a stand up show titled 'Naya Bharat' last month, which led to Shiv Sainiks vandalising the venue, hotel and multiple FIRs against the comedian.
His new stand up show, however, has garnered over 1.3 crore views on his YouTube channel.
Dear @bookmyshow - I still don’t know if I have your platform or no.
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) April 7, 2025
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 | pic.twitter.com/TXaB22sfxI
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
