The Habitat shuts down: All about Mumbai's comedy hub facing political hatred due to Kunal Kamra

Police personnel outside the hotel where Shiv Sena (Shinde) workers allegedly vandalised the Habitat Studio over stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra's alleged defamatory remarks

"The Habitat is not involved in the making of the recent video of Kunal Kamra and does not endorse the views expressed in it. We extend a sincere and heartfelt apology to all those hurt by the video."

This self-contradictory message in Marathi and English, posted by The Habitat on its Instagram account, was followed by the shutting down of the comedy club for an unspecified period. The club, housed in Khar's Hotel Unicontinental, took to social media after being vandalized on Sunday evening by Shiv Sainiks, who were furious over stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra's jibe at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Habitat (@indiehabitat)

Story continues below Advertisement

Remove Ad

This is not the first time that a performance at the comedy club has snowballed into a major controversy. The episode of India's Got Latent, which was embroiled in controversy last February, was shot at the same venue. Various YouTubers, such as Ranveer Allahabadia and Samay Raina, were booked in criminal cases for their remarks on "parents' sex," which were also suggestive of incest. A team of Mumbai Police had visited the premises during its investigation of the case.

The Habitat Club was founded in 2016 by Mumbai-based Punjabi businessman Balraj Singh Ghai. Ghai, a 2009 graduate of the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (IHMCTAN), inherited the 53-room hotel from his father and converted it into a venue offering live performances, food, and drinks. He believed that Mumbai lacked venues that could support live art forms, which led to the idea of The Habitat. Before shutting down, The Habitat facilitated hundreds of live stand-up comedy shows, poetry sessions, live music performances, and other art events.

The restaurant cum club didn't confine itself to merely providing a stage for performers and seating for an audience of 70 but also facilitated recording, post-production, manpower assistance, and promotion on its social media platforms. The Habitat's Instagram account has 360K followers, while its X account has 3.5K followers.

Following the attack, The Habitat announced its shutdown until the management figures out a way to provide a platform without jeopardizing themselves or their property. While closing the venue has upset Mumbai's comedy lovers, the apology from The Habitat's management has also not gone down well with its patrons. One patron remarked that on one hand, The Habitat is distancing itself from Kamra's show, and on the other, it is issuing an apology. "If they have nothing to do with the video, then why are they sorry for it?" he asked.

Mumbai Police have arrested 12 Shiv Sena workers for ransacking and damaging the hall of Hotel Unicontinental. All of them were produced before a magistrate at Bandra court, who sent them to judicial custody. The accused have applied for bail.