Mumbai, September 11: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has issued a strict warning to popular comedian and actor Kapil Sharma, cautioning him against referring to Mumbai as “Bombay” or “Bambai” during his popular Netflix program, The Great Indian Kapil Show. The party declared that if such terminology continues to be used on the show, it will not hesitate to launch a strong agitation in protest.
The statement came on Thursday from Ameya Khopkar, president of the MNS film wing, who while speaking to reporters, expressed sharp disapproval of what he termed as an “insult” to the identity of the city.
“The official and rightful name of this city is Mumbai. Yet, on Kapil Sharma’s show, time and again, we have noticed that the city is referred to as Bombay or Bambai. This is not a small objection—it is our anger. If other metropolitan cities such as Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata are addressed by their official names, why should Mumbai alone be disrespected? This city has given Kapil Sharma recognition and immense love; it has been his karmabhoomi (land of work). The people of Mumbai follow his work with admiration. Therefore, we strongly oppose this repeated misnaming. Mumbai is in our hearts, and insulting the name of this city amounts to insulting the people of Mumbai,” Khopkar declared.
Khopkar further warned Sharma to take immediate corrective steps: “If this has happened by mistake, we urge you to rectify it. All guests and anchors who appear on your show must be clearly instructed to refer to the city only as Mumbai. If this rule is not followed, the MNS will be compelled to begin a powerful agitation against you and your program.”
The controversy comes just a day after Uddhav Thackeray, chief of the Shiv Sena (UBT), visited his cousin and MNS president Raj Thackeray at his Mumbai residence, triggering widespread speculation of a possible political alliance between the two factions ahead of the upcoming municipal elections.
When questioned whether the renewed aggression on this matter was politically motivated, Khopkar dismissed the suggestion, insisting that the MNS has consistently raised this issue for many years irrespective of elections. “This has nothing to do with polls. Our stand is clear—the name of this city is Mumbai, and it must be addressed as Mumbai. Anyone who fails to respect this will have to face our protest and anger,” he stated firmly.
The MNS has long positioned itself as a custodian of Marathi pride and Mumbai’s identity, and Thursday’s warning to Kapil Sharma appears to be another extension of that stance. How the popular comedian responds remains to be seen, but the controversy has already created ripples in both political and entertainment circles.
