Mumbai/IBNS: Filmmaker Hansal Mehta and Kangana Ranaut have once again indulged in a verbal spat online, and this time, their bone of contention is the Kunal Kamra issue.

While Hansal Mehta has condemned the crackdown against stand-up comic Kunal Kamra for his jokes targeting Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Kangana has accused the comedian of "abusing people".

Mehta flagged the issue in a post and said, "What happened with Kamra is, sadly, not new to Maharashtra. I’ve lived through it myself."

"Twenty-five years ago, loyalists of the same (then undivided) political party stormed into my office. They vandalised it, physically assaulted me, blackened my face, and forced me to apologise publicly—by falling at the feet of an elderly woman—for a single line of dialogue in my film," he wrote.

"No matter how deep the disagreement, no matter how sharp the provocation—violence, intimidation, and humiliation can never be justified. We owe ourselves, and each other, better. We owe ourselves dialogue, dissent, and dignity," he added.

His post comes amid a massive debate over the vandalism at a Mumbai studio to protest against Kamra. As cases are filed and the civic body cracks down on the studio, citing building law violations, many have compared it with the action taken against Kangana during the Uddhav Thackeray regime in 2020.

An X user questioned Mehta about remaining mum when Kangana's premises were demolished in 2020.

To this, the filmmaker responded by saying, "Was her house vandalised. Did goons enter her premises? Did they do this to challenge her freedom of expression or for alleged FSI violations? Please enlighten me. Maybe I don’t know the facts."

"Since people are talking I wanted to know how the incident with Kunal Kamra, the venue and the part demolition at Kangana’s home are similar or different. @grok please enlighten me because when I ask those who indulge in whataboutery they stop responding," he posted.

Kangana did not let the issue go and slammed the filmmaker instead. She asked him "to stay out of it".

"They called me names like haramkhor,  threatened me, served a notice late in the night to my watchman and next morning before courts could open bulldozers demolished the entire house. High court called the demolition completely illegal," she said.

The actor even called him a "third-class" filmmaker with whom she had collaborated for 'Simran' in 2017.

"It seems your insecurity and mediocrity has not only made you bitter and stupid but it had blinded you as well, it’s not some third class series or atrocious films that you make, don’t try to sell your dumb lies and agendas here in the matters related to my ordeals, stay out of it," she wrote targeting Mehta.

The filmmaker responded, saying, 'Get well soon.'

In September 2020, a part of Kangana Ranaut's Mumbai office was demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, citing encroachment.

At the time, the Uddhav Thackeray government was in power in Maharashtra and controlled the civic body.

The action against Kangana followed a bitter discord between her and Shiv Sena leaders in the wake of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's shocking death.

The actor moved court against the demolition and won big time there.

The Bombay High Court paused the demolition exercise and slammed the motives behind the BMC's action.

What did Kamra say?

Kamra, who is best known for his outspoken nature, targeted Shinde during a comedy show by parodying the 1997 song 'Bholi Si Surat' from 'Dil To Pagal Hai'.

In an indirect sweep, Kamra referred to Shinde as a 'gaddar (traitor), referring to his rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray in 2022, an episode that led to the state government's collapse and the party's split.

Mumbai's Habitat Studio, a popular platform for stand-up comedians in the city, on Monday announced its decision to shut down after Shiv Sena (Shinde) workers vandalised it.

Mumbai studio announces shutdown after Shinde-led Shiv Sena's vandalism

Announcing its decision, Habitat Studio wrote on Instagram: "We are shocked, worried and extremely broken by the recent acts of vandalism targeting us. Artists are solely responsible for their views and creative choices."

"We have never been involved in the content performed by any Artist, but the recent events have made us rethink about how we get blamed and targeted every time, almost like we are a proxy for the performer," the studio said.

The studio further said: "We are shutting down until we figure out the best way to provide a platform for free expression without putting ourselves and our property in jeopardy."