Pulkit Mani
Stand-up comedian Pulkit Mani has become the centre of a political controversy after performing a mimicry act involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Indore.
The performance took place during the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme on September 19. A video of the performance subsequently circulated widely on social media, prompting reactions from BJP leaders.
During the performance, Pulkit Mani imitated aspects of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public mannerisms. He reproduced the style in which Modi addresses foreign leaders and referred to the phrase ‘My Friend’.
Mani also hugged Rahul Gandhi on stage while performing the act. Another part of the performance referred to a previous public incident involving Modi and an elderly woman. Gandhi was present on stage during the performance.
The video triggered political reactions. BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan alleged that the performance insulted the Prime Minister, women and elderly people.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also criticised Gandhi over the episode.
Congress leaders have presented the episode as political satire and defended the broader context of the programme. The exchange has since become part of the continuing political debate around the event.
Pulkit Mani is a stand-up comedian known for political satire, commentary on current affairs and impressions of public figures. His social media presence has grown alongside his comedy career.
Mani has more than 600,000 followers on Instagram. His Instagram handle is ‘hunnywhoisfunny’. His first half-hour stand-up special, ‘Raw Hunny’, was released on YouTube in February 2026.
Mani has been performing as a comedian since 2021. Before entering professional comedy, he reportedly worked as a French-language teacher at a private school in Noida. He also worked as a translator.
His experience with language and observing people’s speech and gestures has been described as useful in his work as an impressionist comedian.
The controversy was followed by the cancellation of several of Mani’s scheduled shows. He first announced that his Noida performance had been cancelled, citing ‘unforeseen circumstances’.
He later said that his Lucknow and Kanpur shows had also been cancelled.
Mani claimed that the cancellations followed ‘repeated threats from goon activists’. He did not publicly identify the people or groups allegedly behind the threats.
The cancellations have added another dimension to the controversy surrounding his Indore performance. BJP leaders have criticised the mimicry, while Congress leaders have defended the event in the context of political satire and youth outreach.
The alleged threats and the circumstances surrounding the cancelled shows remain subjects of public discussion. Further details about the source of the alleged threats have not been publicly established.
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