The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has warned comedian Kapil Sharma against referring to Mumbai as “Bombay” in his Netflix show The Great Indian Kapil Show. MNS leader Ameya Khopkar posted a clip from Sharma’s show on X, stating that despite Mumbai being officially renamed nearly three decades ago, the older term continues to be used casually in films, television, and by celebrities. Ameya Khopkar, who heads the MNS’ film wing, told news agency ANI, “The name of this city is Mumbai. On Kapil’s show, since long we have seen that the city is always referred to as Bombay or Bambai. We oppose this. It’s not an objection, it’s anger. The name of this city is Mumbai. If you can address other cities by their proper names like Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata, why insult our city?" Threatening Kapil, the MNS leader further added, “You (Kapil) have been working in Mumbai for so many years… Mumbai has been your karmabhoomi. 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. If this does not happen, then the MNS will launch a strong agitation," Khopkar stated.Kapil currently hosts The Great Indian Kapil Show, which is streamed on Netflix every weekend. Its third season premiered on June 21. It also features Archana Puran Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Kiku Sharda, Sunil Grover, Krushna Abhishek and others. However, the MNS leader also clarified that his request to Kapil Sharma is not politically motivated ahead of the local body polls. “We have been agitating on this issue for many years. Keep elections aside, the name of this city is Mumbai. You will have to say Mumbai. And those who do not call it so, will have to face our anger," he said.
Meanwhile, Ameya Khopkar also took to his X handle and shared a video from Kapil Sharma’s Netflix show in which Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem were seen referring to Mumbai as Bombay while narrating a story.In the caption of his post, Ameya wrote in Marathi, “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. 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." The MNS has often objected to the use of “Bombay” instead of “Mumbai,” repeatedly insisting that the city’s official name be respected