The joke was nothing too unusual for political comedy. But in India, where there is little room anymore to make fun of politicians without drawing court cases or mob violence, all hell quickly broke loose.
Just hours after video from a stand-up show in Mumbai was posted online Sunday, supporters of a state political leader barged into the popular club where it had been taped. The vigilantes intimidated the crowd, which had gathered for an unrelated event, and vandalized the place as the police watched.
The state’s chief minister called for legal action against the comic who performed the show, and the police filed charges, accusing him of defamation. The local municipality then sent government employees to batter the comedy club with hammers, a lighter version of what has become known as bulldozer justice.
The comic, Kunal Kamra, who is among the last comedians still taking on politicians in India, issued a statement on Monday emphasizing that he would not be intimidated.
“Attacking a venue for a comedian’s words is as senseless as overturning a lorry carrying tomatoes because you didn’t like the butter chicken you were served,” he said.
But the effect — the deepening chill on speech in India — was clear.
On Monday, the club, Habitat, announced that it had shut down, depriving India of one of the few places still willing to host shows of an edgy political nature. The police and the vigilantes remain on the hunt for Mr. Kamra, who is believed to be in a southern state.
