Comedian Anudeep Katikala held by AP cops in Prayagraj for Pawan Kalyan joke

Hyderabad: Stand-up comedian Anudeep Katikala was picked up by Andhra Pradesh Police on Tuesday, April 14, from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, three days after a first information report (FIR) was filed against him at the Kakinada Police Station following a complaint by a member of the Jana Sena Party (JSP), headed by actor-politician Pawan Kalyan, who is also the state’s Deputy Chief Minister.

Anudeep, 30, is based in Hyderabad, but his father, a central government employee currently posted in Prayagraj, lives there. According to a family member, the two were out for an evening walk when a team of AP Police arrived and took the comedian into custody. The arrest came despite Katikala having already issued a public apology after his jokes drew outrage from Pawan Kalyan’s fanbase. 

The FIR was filed on the complaint of JSP member Bade Venkata Krishna.

What Anudeep Katikala said

The trouble began when a video of Katikala’s stand-up set circulated on YouTube. In it, he called Tollywood actor Ram Charan a “feminist” – framing it as a compliment – for appearing unbothered by the fact that his wife Upasana is wealthier than him. He then joked that people should take a leaf from Pawan Kalyan’s book when it came to divorce, noting that neither of Kalyan’s two ex-wives had accused him of abuse. 

Ram Charan is the son of Tollywood veteran Chiranjeevi, while Pawan Kalyan is Chiranjeevi’s younger brother.

The videos drew immediate and, in some cases, violent threats from fans. Katikala subsequently apologised, telling The News Minute on April 12 that his intent had been to normalise feminism and the idea of divorce. “The video includes a joke on Jr NTR, who I am a fan of,” he said.

‘He had already apologised’

The apology did not shield him from legal action. “The AP Police had tracked him via his phone number. Because his father is a government official, the local police was informed and they gave us details of the FIR,” a family member told Siasat.com. 

“The Superintendent of Kakinada said the AP Police is just following protocol and that he has to be physically present for the case. He is in custody right now, and they have not yet booked tickets to go back to AP,” the family member added.

Katikala has been booked under sections 356(2) (punishment for defamation), 353(2) (making statements in public that are likely to cause public mischief or alarm) and 79 (uttering words or making gestures intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act.

A familiar pattern

The arrest arrives at a moment when stand-up comedians across the country have increasingly found themselves in the crosshairs of political outrage. 

Kunal Kamra recently appeared before a Maharashtra legislative committee over remarks targeting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and made clear he had no intention of apologising. “I stand by my statements,” he said on social media, adding that he would not tender an “insincere” apology.

A breach of privilege notice against Kamra had prompted the constitution of the committee in the first place.