"Requesting something simple...": Kunal Kamra Raises Concerns Over Artist Rights in Open Letter to BookMyShow

Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra issued an open letter to ticketing platform BookMyShow on Monday, amid confusion surrounding whether he had been delisted from the platform. The letter, shared on the social media, follows political backlash after Kamra performed a satirical song referencing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during one of his shows.

Kamra began the letter with a direct query: “Dear @bookmyshow – I still don’t know if I have your platform or no…” He expressed uncertainty about his status on the platform, which has faced pressure from political groups over his content.

In his letter, Kamra acknowledged BookMyShow’s right as a private entity to make business decisions but raised concerns about the platform’s policies regarding ticket listings. He pointed out that, by not allowing artists to list their shows on their own websites, BookMyShow restricts their ability to reach audiences they have spent years building. 

Kamra further explained the financial strain placed on performers, who must spend between ₹6,000 and ₹10,000 per day on advertising just to reach their audience. This, in addition to the platform taking a 10 per cent revenue cut, he argued, creates an unequal playing field for comedians and other solo performers.

“The artist is requesting something simple,” Kamra wrote. “Please ensure that you hand over the contact information of the audiences they’ve collected from their solo shows.” He emphasised that comedians, like himself, are often the sole performers and producers of their own shows, navigating a tightly controlled ecosystem with little control over their audience data.

Kamra’s appeal was clear: either BookMyShow should not delist artists, or it should provide them with the audience data they’ve helped to generate through their performances.

This public letter followed a series of events that began after Kamra’s performance at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai, where he performed a parody song targeting Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The performance sparked a political backlash, with supporters of the Shiv Sena party vandalising the venue. In response, Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel filed a police complaint against Kamra, accusing him of making derogatory remarks about public officials.

Reports of Kamra being delisted from BookMyShow began circulating after Shiv Sena youth leader Rahool Kanal wrote to the platform on April 2, urging them to halt ticket sales for Kamra’s upcoming shows. Kanal accused the comedian of making politically charged comments about public figures, including India’s Prime Minister and deputy chief ministers, calling Kamra’s comedy a “campaign of vilification.”