What was supposed to be a celebratory evening for Sunil Pal quickly took an awkward turn. The comedian faced an embarrassing and insulting moment on stage at an event in Mumbai, where he was first felicitated with a bouquet but then denied a mic and asked to sit down. The video has gone viral on the internet, generating mixed views from netizens.
Sunil Pal opens up about the insulting moment
Opening up about the incident, Sunil Pal told CNN-News18 Showsha that the poetry event had begun on a positive note. “Ye ek shayari ka program tha jisme main gaya tha. Many good shayars had come to this Urdu-Adab event. One of my closest friends had invited me to this event, so I went and was having a good time,” he said.
He said that the situation was made more uncomfortable because of the audience’s reaction. “Everyone there was watching and recording the video of me on stage because they thought I was being honoured but look what happened. I felt insulted.”
To understand what went wrong, Pal later reached out to the friend who had invited him. “Later, I even asked my friend, who had invited me, what was the issue but he asked me to forget and move on. Even he didn’t know why I wasn’t allowed to say a simple thank you on stage.”
Sunil Pal faces insulting behaviour on stage
After Pal stepped on the stage and accepted his bouquet, he turned towards the mic to say a few words. However, the organiser on stage did not hand over the microphone and instead took the mic away from him. Not only that, but the organiser is also seen asking Pal to return to his seat. The exchange was caught on camera, showing the comedian trying to make sense of the situation. He is seen requesting the organiser for a chance to speak, saying, “At least let me say thank you”. Despite his gentle request, the organiser is seen continuing to gesture for Sunil to step away, while not allowing him to address the audience.
Although the real reason behind the organiser`s behaviour towards Pal is still unclear, some users on the internet speculate it could be linked to controversial remarks made by Pal in the past. Nevertheless, there has been no official clarification so far on the matter by Pal or the organisers.
Sunil Pal rose to fame after winning The Great Indian Laughter Challenge back in 2005 and went on to become a known face in TV and live come.