Comedian Tanmay Bhat mocks Sachin, Lata in AIB video, police order probe

Mumbai police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar ordered an enquiry on Monday against standup comedian Tanmay Bhat after BJP leader Ashish Shelar lodged a complaint with the police chief on Monday. Bhat is accused of mocking and insulting cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar and legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar in a video he posted to Facebook on May 26.

Sangramsinh Nishandar, deputy commissioner and Mumbai police spokesperson said the Special Branch of Mumbai police will conduct enquiry into the incident, based on which further action will be taken.

Bhat, in a video, transposed his face with that of the two personalities and played out a fictional conversation between them. Imitating Lata Mangeshkar in the video, Bhat says that cricketer Virat Kohli is better than Tendulkar. To this, the comedian -- now playing Tendular -- tells the singer, “You are 5,000 years old...”

Complaints against Bhat were lodged a the Shivaji Park police station and the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) police station against the video insulting the two icons.

“Bharat Ratnas Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar have been insulted by Tanmay Bhat and we demand his immediate arrest,” said Sanjay Khopkar, vice president Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), who had given a written complaint to the Shivaji Park police station on Monday.

Twitter users meanwhile trolled Tanmay Bhat in connection with the video .

While the MNS warned of action against Bhat, Twitter users too lashed out at him for mocking the two idols, with some calling the video “offensive” and saying that it “wasn’t even funny”.