T-Series Sends Copyright Notice, Kunal Kamra Says Stop Being A Stooge

Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra's show Naya Bharat at Habitat Studio in Mumbai has sparked controversy over his remarks on Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Amid the backlash, Kamra released a parody of Hawa Hawai from the 1987 film Mr. India earlier today. However, T-Series, the copyright holder of the song, swiftly issued a copyright strike. Reacting to the takedown, Kamra slammed the music label, calling it a "stooge."

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Kamra defended his video, stating that he had neither used the original lyrics nor the instrumental. Sharing a screenshot of YouTube's copyright notice, 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."

He further added, "If you take this video down, every cover song/dance video can be taken down. Creators, take note. Every monopoly in India is nothing short of the Mafia, so please watch/download this special before it's removed. FYI-T-Series stays in Tamil Nadu."

Following the copyright strike, Kamra's video has been blocked on YouTube by T-Series.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that Kamra, whose phone number was allegedly leaked, has received over 500 threat calls amid the controversy.

The situation escalated further after Kamra's "gaddar" remark on Eknath Shinde, leading Shiv Sena workers to vandalize The Habitat Club, where Kamra had performed his set.

On Monday evening, Kamra responded to the backlash, firmly stating that he would not apologise, emphasizing that "it is not against the law to poke fun at leaders and the circus that is the political system."