Mumbai, Sept 12: Popular comedian and television host Kapil Sharma has come under fire from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for referring to Mumbai as ‘Bombay’ on his Netflix show The Great Indian Kapil Sharma Show. The party, led by Raj Thackeray, has launched a campaign titled ‘Bombay vs Mumbai’ and is calling out celebrities and media personalities for using the old colonial-era name.
The controversy erupted after a recent episode of Kapil Sharma’s show featured actress Huma Qureshi, who referred to Mumbai as "Bombay". The MNS, particularly its film wing chief Ameya Khopkar, expressed strong objection and issued a public warning to Sharma.
In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Khopkar wrote:
“It has been 30 years since the name was officially changed to Mumbai. Yet, celebrities, anchors, and even Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sharma continue to use the outdated term ‘Bombay’ on national platforms. This is unacceptable.”
He further stated that many Bollywood films also continue to use "Bombay" despite the official change. Khopkar emphasized that Mumbai was renamed in 1995 by the Maharashtra state government, with the central government approving the change in 1996.
Drawing comparisons with other Indian cities like Chennai (formerly Madras), Bengaluru (Bangalore), and Kolkata (Calcutta), the MNS leader urged public figures to honor the official name and warned of consequences if such references continue.
The party also posted a video clip from Kapil Sharma’s show showing Huma Qureshi using the word "Bombay", intensifying the backlash.
As of now, neither Kapil Sharma nor the show's producers have issued a response to the warning.
