Kapil Sharma drew ire from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for referring to Mumbai as Bombay on his show The Great Indian Kapil Show. MNS spokesperson Ameya Khopkar warned Kapil Sharma not to use the city's former name, claiming it might offend the sentiments of the people.
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Huma Qureshi, along with her brother Saqib Saleem and the Shetty sisters, appeared in an episode of The Kapil Sharma Show. Talking about her bond with Saqib, Huma said "Bombay" instead of Mumbai. She said that she feels at home with Saqib as she is originally not from the city.
In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, MNS spokesperson Ameya Khopkar wrote in Marathi, which translates to: "Even though 30 years have passed since Bombay was officially renamed Mumbai, the term Bombay is still frequently used in Bollywood's Kapil Sharma Show celebrity guests, Delhi-based Rajya Sabha MPs, show anchors, and in many Hindi films."
"It was officially recognised by the Maharashtra Government in 1995 and by the Central Government in 1996, even before Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. Therefore, a humble request-cum-warning is being issued to respect this and use the name Mumbai," it added. He tagged Kapil as well as Netflix in his post.
Later, during a media interaction in Mumbai, he said they would launch a strong agitation if Kapil does not heed the warning.
He said, "You (Kapil Sharma) have been working in Mumbai for so many years... Mumbai has been your 'karmabhoomi' (land of work). The people of Mumbai like you and watch your shows. Mumbai is in our hearts, don't insult this city, don't insult the people of Mumbai... I am warning Kapil Sharma."
"I request you that if this has happened by mistake, then correct the mistake... Whoever comes on your show, whether they are celebrities or the anchor, tell them first that they must not call Mumbai as Bombay or Bambai. They must say Mumbai. If this does not happen, then the MNS will launch a strong agitation," he added.
The Great Indian Kapil Show has been renewed for a third season. It premiered in 2024 with two seasons (13 episodes each) already released.
