A ‘boycott’ call against BookMyShow amid Kunal Kamra row: ‘Democratic citizens should…’

Days after online ticketing platform BookMyShow delisted stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and removed his name from the list of artistes amid a massive row over his jokes against Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, people took to social media, using the hashtag #BoycottBookMyShow to voice their disapproval against the decision.

Several shared screenshots showing them uninstalling the ticketing platform, while others urged “democratic citizens” to follow the suit. "I have decided to boycott @bookmyshow for removing all shows of @kunalkamra88 from their platform. I urge all democratic citizens of India who value our Constitution to join me in the #BoycottBookMyShow movement,” a user wrote.

Responding to the boycott calls, Kamra said, "To the audience, I’m not a fan of boycotts or downrating a private business. BookMyShow is well within its rights to do what’s best for its business.”

Kamra's Open Letter

The stand-up comedian has written an open letter, asking BookMyShow to hand over the contact information of the audience members it collected from his shows so he could "continue living his life with dignity.”

“What I'm requesting is simple: please ensure that you hand over the contact information of the audiences you've collected from my solo shows so that I can continue living my life with dignity and work towards a fair livelihood,” Kamra stated in a message shared on social media.

BookMyShow's Response

BookMyShow responded to the controversy, stating that it is "a platform to facilitate the sale of tickets and operates the business with neutrality and in compliance with the applicable laws of India.”

"The facts regarding our role have been misrepresented in the public domain. Our role is to provide a platform for ticket sales of live shows; it is the decision of the organiser or the venue to list or delist their shows,” the company clarified.