Kunal Kamra controversy: Ticketing platform responds to comedian's delisting allegations

Mumbai, April 7: The ticketing platform BookMyShow has released a statement addressing a controversy involving comedian Kunal Kamra, after he was delisted from their platform. This comes after the comedian’s open letter to the platform. On Sunday, Kunal took to his X, and shared in his letter that by de-listing him, the platform has prevented him from accessing the audience whom he has performed for close to a decade.

In its response, BMS has said that the listing or delisting of a show is completely an organiser’s prerogative, and they have no say in it.

The said in a statement, “BookMyShow is a platform to facilitate the sale of tickets and operates the business with neutrality and in compliance with the applicable laws of India. 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 further read, “The content of each performance is solely at the discretion of the performer or the organiser (as the case may be) and does not bear any representation of our views. We work with all venues and promoters on mutually agreed upon commercials to provide our ticketing service, as would be the case with any business. We do not restrict any artist from selling their show on their own website, should they choose to do so”.

Earlier, Kunal’s content was removed from the platform after his parody song mocked Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, prompting backlash from Shiv Sena leader Rahool Kanal.

The platform clarified that the decision about show’s content and listings are at the discretion of the organizers and venues.

Reader Comments

R

Rahul P.

This seems like a fair response from BMS. They're just a ticketing platform after all, not content police. If venues don't want to host certain comedians, that's their call. 🤷‍♂️

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Priya K.

Kunal Kamra has every right to express his views, but platforms also have the right to choose who they associate with. Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences.

A

Ankit S.

I think BMS could have handled this better. Their response feels a bit corporate and cold. When artists build audiences on your platform for years, you owe them more than just a legal clarification.

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Shweta M.

Political satire has always walked a fine line in India. While I enjoy Kunal's comedy, maybe he could tone it down just a notch when targeting sitting politicians? Just my two cents.

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Vikram D.

This is exactly why we need more independent ticketing options for artists! Relying on big platforms always comes with these risks. Hope Kunal finds alternative ways to reach his audience.

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Neha T.

The real issue here is how easily offended our politicians are. Comedy should be allowed to poke fun at everyone equally! This isn't about BMS, it's about free expression.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.