Comedian Samay Raina and Balraj Singh Ghai, the owner of The Habitat studio, were spotted on September 3 with Shiv Sena leader who had vandalised the studio in the past.
The trio were spotted at the Lalbaugcha Raja for Ganesh darshan. As the video went viral, netizens reacted, expressing surprise. Rhool Kanal is a member of Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena; a few months ago, Kanal and a group of Shiv Sena workers vandalised the Habitat studio in Mumbai.
The incident was a reaction to Kunal Kamra’s joke on former Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde. A video shared on social media shows Raina, Ghai and Kanal being escorted by the police as they arrived for the darshan.
As the video went viral, most social media users pointed out that Kanal was the same person who vandalised the studio.
yashmodhave said, “Wasn’t he the same guy who had sent goons in habitat?”
harshalll_jadhav20 said, “Habitat todne wale k sath seedha ?”
vivek_kessur said, “An unexpected collaboration, surprising alliance”
imzkr11 said, “Balraj Ghai ka insurance claim settlement ho gaya lagta”
Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched a demolition drive at The Habitat Studio, located at the Unicontinental Hotel in Khar, on Monday, March 24, citing violations of civic rules.
The demolition drive was conducted after a video of stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra went massively vira,l where he allegedly mocked the state deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde calling him a ‘gaddar‘ (traitor). The standup act was held in the Habitat Studio.
The Habitat Studio announced it was shutting operations, following vandalism by Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) cadres late Sunday night. So far, 12 people, including their leader, Rahul Kanal, have been taken into judicial custody.
The studio said artists are “solely responsible for their views and creative choices” and they have never been involved in the content performed by them.
“But recent events have made us rethink how we get blamed and targeted every tim,e almost like we are the proxy for the performer.
“We are shutting down till we figure out the best way to provide a platform for free expression without putting ourselves and our property in jeopardy. We invite all artists, audience and stakeholders to discuss and share their views freely and request your guidance so that we also respect the performer’s rights,” the note further read.
It also issued an apology to “all those hurt by this video”. “The Habitat is not involved in the making of the recent video of Kunal Kamra and it does not endorse the views expressed by it,” it said.
