The popular comedy program The Great Indian Kapil Show has come under fire after a recent episode offended the Bengali community, prompting a legal notice and widespread backlash. In the episode, host Kapil Sharma and his co-star Krishna Abhishek parodied the celebrated Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore’s iconic poem Ekla Chalo Re, humorously altering it to “Pichla Chalo.” The change sparked outrage within the Bengali community, who viewed it as disrespectful.
Prominent figures in Bengali literature and arts, including esteemed poet Sujato Bandyopadhyay and musician Indradeep Das Gupta, condemned the episode, emphasizing that there is a “fine line between humor and disrespect,” which, if crossed, can be deeply offensive.
The Bango Bhashi Mahasabha Foundation has served a legal notice to the show’s producers, objecting to what it describes as an encroachment on cultural and religious boundaries.
Meanwhile, Salman Khan, who co-produced earlier seasons of the show, has distanced himself from the controversy. A spokesperson clarified that neither Salman Khan nor his production company is currently associated with The Great Indian Kapil Show, which now airs on Netflix.
