“Get well soon”: Hansal Mehta, Kangana Ranaut exchange barbs over Kunal Kamra row

A heated online exchange erupted between filmmaker Hansal Mehta and actor-MP Kangana Ranaut over the ongoing controversy surrounding comedian Kunal Kamra. The dispute follows a crackdown on a Mumbai studio over Kamra’s jokes targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. While Kamra's supporters decry the action as political vendetta, others, including Ranaut, argue it is a justified legal move.

Hansal Mehta, who previously worked with Ranaut in the 2017 film Simran, flagged an abusive social media post targeting Kamra, triggering a debate. An X user questioned Mehta’s silence over the 2020 demolition of Ranaut’s Mumbai office, which was carried out under the Uddhav Thackeray-led government. Responding to this, Mehta asked whether her house was vandalized by goons or if the action was related to alleged violations.

Ranaut fired back, recounting the ordeal she faced in 2020. She claimed she was threatened, labeled a “haramkhor,” and received a late-night demolition notice before bulldozers arrived at her property the next morning. She reminded that the Bombay High Court later declared the BMC’s action illegal. She also accused Mehta of being “insecure” and “bitter,” dismissing his films as “third class.”

In response, Mehta kept his reply short, telling Ranaut, “Get well soon.” He also shared a personal experience of being attacked by political workers 25 years ago over a film dialogue. He recalled how his office was vandalized, his face blackened, and how he was forced to publicly apologize by bowing before an elderly woman. He condemned political violence, stating that disagreements should not justify intimidation and humiliation.

The controversy stems from the civic body’s crackdown on Kamra’s studio, which authorities cite as a violation of building regulations. Many see the move as politically motivated, comparing it to the action taken against Ranaut in 2020. However, Ranaut dismissed the comparison, stating that the action against her was illegal, while Kamra’s case was a lawful intervention.

Meanwhile, the debate over free speech and political retaliation in Maharashtra continues, with sharp divisions between supporters and critics of both Kamra and Ranaut. The larger conversation on artistic freedom versus political consequences remains unresolved.