Detained for 47 days, deported to India: Comic shares Dubai ordeal over comedy Reel
Comedian Yash Bhardwaj said Dubai authorities detained him for 47 days over a comedy reel. He said the episode ended with his deportation to India, which deeply affected his family.
What started as a comedy sketch ended with nearly seven weeks in detention. Mumbai-based stand-up comedian Yash Bhardwaj has claimed that he was held by authorities in Dubai for 47 days over a social media Reel before being deported to India.
Comic Yash Bhardwaj recalls being detained in Dubai
In a detailed Instagram post shared a few days ago, Bhardwaj recounted the experience, describing it as one of the most difficult periods of his life. He said he returned to India on May 5 and has since been trying to rebuild his routine and get back on stage.
According to Bhardwaj, the episode began on March 19 while he was performing at a comedy gig in Dubai. He said he received a call from Dubai Police asking him to report to their headquarters immediately over a comedy reel he had posted online.
The comedian said the video poked fun at Google Maps, allegedly showing incorrect locations in Dubai amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Here's the comedy Reel that caused all the trouble:
"On March 19, while I was at a gig in Dubai, I got a call from Dubai Police asking me to report to the Dubai Police HQ immediately. Turns out they had an issue with a comedy reel I made about Google Maps malfunctioning in Dubai due to the current war in the region (sic)," he wrote.
Calling the clip "a harmless, dumb reel", Bhardwaj said authorities viewed it differently.
"It was a harmless, dumb Reel - but the authorities did not find it funny. I was detained and arrested as a perceived national security threat, and I spent 47 days in a detention centre," he further wrote.
Bhardwaj said he was eventually deported to India after spending 47 days in custody.
Read Yash's full post here:
"Returned to India on May 5. It wasn't easy at all for me or my family – it drained us physically, emotionally, and to some extent, financially," he wrote.
What's next for Yash Bhardwaj?
The comedian added that he is now focused on moving forward. He said Mumbai has welcomed him back warmly and allowed him to return to performing sooner than he expected.
Bhardwaj also shared plans to spend time in Bengaluru, where he first began performing stand-up comedy.
"I'm off to Bangalore for a few weeks – the city where my love for the stage actually began 16 years ago – to kick off a new chapter in my life," he wrote.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Bhardwaj said a Reel that was intended as a quick joke ended up altering the course of his life for nearly two months, resulting in detention, deportation and a challenging period for both him and his family.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Bhardwaj expressed gratitude by sharing an Instagram video.
Watch the video here:
As of now, authorities in Dubai have not publicly responded to Bhardwaj's claims.
What started as a comedy sketch ended with nearly seven weeks in detention. Mumbai-based stand-up comedian Yash Bhardwaj has claimed that he was held by authorities in Dubai for 47 days over a social media Reel before being deported to India.
Comic Yash Bhardwaj recalls being detained in Dubai
In a detailed Instagram post shared a few days ago, Bhardwaj recounted the experience, describing it as one of the most difficult periods of his life. He said he returned to India on May 5 and has since been trying to rebuild his routine and get back on stage.
According to Bhardwaj, the episode began on March 19 while he was performing at a comedy gig in Dubai. He said he received a call from Dubai Police asking him to report to their headquarters immediately over a comedy reel he had posted online.
The comedian said the video poked fun at Google Maps, allegedly showing incorrect locations in Dubai amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Here's the comedy Reel that caused all the trouble:
"On March 19, while I was at a gig in Dubai, I got a call from Dubai Police asking me to report to the Dubai Police HQ immediately. Turns out they had an issue with a comedy reel I made about Google Maps malfunctioning in Dubai due to the current war in the region (sic)," he wrote.
Calling the clip "a harmless, dumb reel", Bhardwaj said authorities viewed it differently.
"It was a harmless, dumb Reel - but the authorities did not find it funny. I was detained and arrested as a perceived national security threat, and I spent 47 days in a detention centre," he further wrote.
Bhardwaj said he was eventually deported to India after spending 47 days in custody.
Read Yash's full post here:
"Returned to India on May 5. It wasn't easy at all for me or my family – it drained us physically, emotionally, and to some extent, financially," he wrote.
What's next for Yash Bhardwaj?
The comedian added that he is now focused on moving forward. He said Mumbai has welcomed him back warmly and allowed him to return to performing sooner than he expected.
Bhardwaj also shared plans to spend time in Bengaluru, where he first began performing stand-up comedy.
"I'm off to Bangalore for a few weeks – the city where my love for the stage actually began 16 years ago – to kick off a new chapter in my life," he wrote.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Bhardwaj said a Reel that was intended as a quick joke ended up altering the course of his life for nearly two months, resulting in detention, deportation and a challenging period for both him and his family.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Bhardwaj expressed gratitude by sharing an Instagram video.
Watch the video here:
As of now, authorities in Dubai have not publicly responded to Bhardwaj's claims.
