Who is Pulkit Mani? Stand-up comedian at centre of Rahul Gandhi-Modi mimicry row

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the Congress over the event and said the party has turned into 'party of jokers' and ‘circus.’ The saffron party called Rahul Gandhi ‘Asanskari naraz fufa’ after the event.

Stand-up comedian Pulkit Mani sparked a massive political row with his mimicry of Prime Minister Modi while performing a skit with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the latest edition of the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Indore on Saturday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) slammed the Congress over the event and said the party has turned into 'party of jokers' and ‘circus.’ The saffron party called Rahul Gandhi ‘Asanskari naraz fufa’ after the event.

What is the controversy about?

In the video shared by the Congress on X, Pulkit Mani is seen mimicking Prime Minister Modi during the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Indore on Saturday.

In the short act, Mani came on stage laughing and hugged Gandhi. "My friend. How are you?" To this, Gandhi replied, "I'm fine; how are you, Modi ji?" Mani responded, "Great harassment", and continued laughing while using the phrase "my friend". Gandhi then said, "Very nice to meet you," and asked Mani to "tell me more".

The comedian kept laughing and hugging Gandhi, and then said, "Maa ko kursi do, maa", pointing toward the audience. Reacting to the political skit, Union minister Piyush Goyal wrote on X, “Asanskari naraz fufa (uncultured disgruntled uncle).”

"The irony writes itself. The need to come on stage every now and then just to drag Prime Minister Modi ji's name into cheap political theatre never fails to amaze me," Goyal said, asking Gandhi to "look in the mirror."

‘Party of comedians and Jokers’

Union minister Kiren Rijiju slammed Gandhi, saying, "I hadn't imagined that a party which was in power for nearly six decades would turn into such a circus that is busy entertaining their own shrunken supporters."

Indians are proud that Prime Minister Modi is the "most popular" elected leader of the world, he said.

"Congress party has become a party of comedians and Jokers! They are out forever.... RIP," Rijiju said.

BJP national general secretary Smriti Irani wrote in Hindi on X, "Jab nash manuj per chata hai, pehle vivek mar jaata hai" (When doom looms over a person, it's his conscience that dies first).

Who is Pulkit Mani?

Pulkit Mani is a stand-up comedian who is known for mimicking public figures. His content includes political satire, impersonations of public figures and observational comedy. Known for his satire and commentary on current affairs, Pulkit Mani had recently earned fame for mimicking PM Modi’s mannerisms.

Pulkit Mani’s Instagram account @hunnywhoisfunny has about 610,000 followers. His first half-hour stand-up special, “Raw Hunny”, was released on YouTube in February 2026. Mani has been a stand-up comedian since 2021.

Pulkit Mani was in the news earlier when Meta removed two of his reels, including a portion from “Raw Hunny”, following copyright complaints.

Before becoming a stand-up comedian, Pulkit Mani worked as a French teacher at a school in Noida and also took up translation work, according to media reports based on a LinkedIn profile with the same name.

Shows cancelled

After the latest row, Pulkit Mani announced on Instagram on Sunday that his shows in Uttar Pradesh's Noida, Lucknow, and Kanpur have been cancelled.

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"I regret to inform you that my Noida show has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused and appreciate you understanding and support," he said.

The irony writes itself. The need to come on stage every now and then just to drag Prime Minister Modi ji's name into cheap political theatre never fails to amaze me.

In a following Instagram statement, the comedian stated, "Due to repeated threats from goon activists my Lucknow and Kanpur shows are cancelled."

(With agency inputs)

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