Pulkit Mani’s UP Shows Called Off Amid Fallout From Modi Mimicry

Stand-up comedian Pulkit Mani has cancelled upcoming shows in Noida, Lucknow and Kanpur following a political controversy over his mimicry of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Indore.

Mani announced the cancellations on social media on September 20, a day after appearing alongside Gandhi at the student-focused programme in Madhya Pradesh.

For the Noida performance, Mani initially cited “unforeseen circumstances” and apologised to ticket holders and other members of his audience. In a later Instagram statement, he said his Lucknow and Kanpur shows had been cancelled because of what he described as “repeated threats from goon activists.”

Mani did not publicly identify the individuals or organisations he said had made the threats, nor did he provide details about their nature. Reporting reviewed by REPORTIVA also does not establish whether the venues cancelled the performances or whether Mani himself called them off.

What happened at Rahul Gandhi’s Indore event

The controversy began after Mani appeared on stage with Rahul Gandhi at Chhatron Ki Goonj in Indore on September 19.

The event was part of Gandhi’s student-focused outreach programme. Gandhi’s official campaign website lists the Indore programme for September 19 and describes Chhatron Ki Goonj as an initiative focused on students and concerns surrounding India’s education system.

During the stage appearance, Mani impersonated Modi, using mannerisms and elements associated with the prime minister’s public appearances. Gandhi participated in the exchange, addressing Mani as “Modi ji” during the skit.

At one point, Mani used the phrase “Maa ko kursi do, maa,” referring to an interaction involving Modi and an elderly woman. Video of the performance was subsequently circulated by the Congress party on social media.

The performance quickly became a political controversy.

BJP criticism follows the performance

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders criticised the act and Rahul Gandhi’s participation in it. Several BJP leaders argued that the performance crossed the line from political mimicry into an inappropriate reference involving Modi’s late mother.

Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Kiren Rijiju and Arjun Ram Meghwal were among those who criticised the episode, while other BJP leaders also called for a response from Gandhi and the Congress.

The criticism focused particularly on the portions of the act involving references to Modi’s mother.

Congress leaders rejected the characterisation that Modi’s late mother had been mocked. Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari and other Congress figures defended the performance as humour and mimicry.

The competing descriptions are important because there is no dispute that Mani impersonated Modi during the event, but the political interpretation of the performance has been sharply divided.

Mani cites threats over the UP cancellations

The first cancellation announcement concerned Mani’s Noida show. He said it had been cancelled because of “unforeseen circumstances.”

He subsequently announced that the Lucknow and Kanpur performances had also been cancelled. In that statement, he attributed the cancellations to what he called repeated threats from “goon activists.”

The claim remains Mani’s allegation. Public reporting reviewed for this article has not established who allegedly made the threats or whether any police complaint, criminal investigation or other formal action has followed.

That distinction is significant. The cancellations themselves have been publicly announced, while the specific circumstances surrounding the alleged threats remain unclear.

Three cities affected

The three affected performances were in:

• Noida
• Lucknow
• Kanpur

Noida was the first cancellation announced by Mani. The Lucknow and Kanpur cancellations were announced subsequently.

Indian Express reported that Mani did not elaborate on the alleged threats. Scroll.in similarly noted that it was unclear whether Mani had personally called off the shows or whether the venues had cancelled them.

Political controversy continues

The dispute has now moved beyond the original performance, with the cancellations becoming part of the wider political argument over the use of comedy and mimicry in political settings.

For the BJP, the episode has been presented as an example of inappropriate political theatre involving the prime minister. Congress leaders have rejected that interpretation and defended the performance as satire.

The disagreement has also drawn attention to the circumstances in which comedians perform political material involving prominent public figures, particularly when such performances take place at political events rather than conventional stand-up venues.

For now, however, the immediate development is more limited: three of Mani’s scheduled Uttar Pradesh shows have been cancelled, and the comedian says threats played a role in the Lucknow and Kanpur cancellations.

What remains unclear

Several questions remain unanswered.

There has been no publicly established account identifying the alleged individuals or groups behind the threats described by Mani. It is also not clear from the available reporting whether authorities are investigating any threats or whether additional security measures have been considered for future performances.

The comedian has also not publicly announced replacement dates for the cancelled shows.

The political dispute over his September 19 performance, meanwhile, remains active, with BJP and Congress figures offering sharply different interpretations of what occurred on stage.

For audiences who had planned to attend Mani’s performances in Noida, Lucknow or Kanpur, the immediate result is that the scheduled shows will not take place as originally planned.