This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam and Anand Vardhan are joined by comedian and screenwriter Anuvab Pal.

The panel first discusses the Kunal Kamra controversy. Jayashree lays down the timeline of incidents and Abhinandan highlights the Supreme Court’s comments on free speech in the Imran Pratapgarhi case.

Anuvab says: “We [comedians] take very special care of the names we mention, especially if the video is supposed to go up online…I don’t see any mobs in defense of Kunal Kamra, just the mobs that vandalised the venue in Mumbai.”

“It’s always the sidekicks who want to please the master,” Anand remarks.

“Now we know who the real Shiv Sena is!” says Jayashree on the vandalism by Eknath Shinde’s followers at The Habitat.

The panel then digs into the mystery of burnt piles of cash found at Justice Yashwant Varma’s official residence last week and the subsequent inquiry into the matter. “There are too many inconsistencies in how it played out,” Jayashree says.

Raman then briefly summarises the Delhi government’s recently announced budget for the 2026 financial year. On how the centre has now “started doling out money” for Delhi, he says: “This year, Rs 24,000 crore more was provided by the centre. This shows that the previous government was gagged.”

This and a lot more. Tune in!

Hafta letters: Managing emails, ‘wokeism’ and privilege, Anand’s knowledge

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Song: Not Funny

Timecodes

00:00:00 – Introductions and announcements

00:04:47 – Headlines 

00:14:37 – Kunal Kamra controversy

01:06:27 – Justice Varma cash row

01:23:48 – Delhi budget 

01:26:50 –  Letters

01:48:06 –  Recommendations

References 

NL Sena - The impunity of India’s police

Fight to Breathe

The Kiran Bedi Tapes

Our Last Week | Comedy Podcast

Modiji x Nikhil Khushamat: When Newslaundry met non-biological PM

Naya Bharat | A Comedy Special

Ye Bhi Theek Hai

Anand’s NL Charcha episode

Recommendations

Anuvab

Good Night, and Good Luck

Jayashree

The Wide Wide Sea

Raman

The Kiran Bedi Tapes

Anand

Naukar Ki Kameez

Wah Aadami Naya Garam Coat Pahinkar Chala Gaya Vichar Ki Tarah

Abhinandan 

Ye Bhi Theek Hai

Donald vs justices…what next?

Upamanyu Chatterjee on poking fun at bureaucracy, perpetual ‘bad moods’,and his new novellas

Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters 

Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra, Ashish Anand, and Anil Kumar. 

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