Ransacked by Shiv Sena supported goons and partly demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in March, after a stand-up comedy show by Kunal Kamra irked supporters of one of the ruling parties in Maharashtra, the Habitat in Khar is back in business, with comedian Abijit Ganguly’s show on May 31.

And Ganguly has one prayer. “Keep Habitat, Mumbai safe till May 31.”

“Habitat is back baby. Mumbai, performing my solo there on 31st 6pm. Lessgo!!” wrote the stand-up comedian on his X handle. “Bhagwan tab tak bas venue safe rakhna. I mean uske baad bhi rakhna, but tab tak to bilkul hee (God keep the venue safe till then. I mean after that too, but till then absolutely safe).”

One of the most popular venues among performers and their audience inside the UniContinental Hotel, The Habitat Studios has been home to many a performer till controversy came knocking at its doors.

First a show of India’s Got Latent was mired in controversy over some remarks that led to FIRs, arrests and anticipatory bails.

The studio withstood the onslaught as the action was limited to the artists.

Then emerged a video by Kunal Kamra where he took a dig at Narendra Modi and former Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, among others. The Habitat was the venue for Kamra’s show that angered both the Shiv Sena supporters as well as the state government.

A Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MLA Murji Patel lodged an FIR against Kamra at the MIDC police station. And Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam threatened that they would take action.

After the vandalism by Shiv Sena supporters, the BMC partly demolished the studio claiming part of it was constructed on encroached land between two hotels.

“The studio owner has constructed some temporary illegal sheds, which we are now removing,” Vinayak Vispute, BMC assistant commissioner had told the media then.

Soon after the act of vandalism at the venue, The Habitat had shared a note saying that it has always served as a neutral platform.

“The Habitat has always been a neutral platform for all kinds of artists to share their work in any language – for anything that requires a stage our doors remain open. Just providing a stage helps to encourage people in discovering their creativity, build their talent, and sometimes find a new career. The stage belongs to an artiste while they’re on it. Artistes create their own content, ther words and expressions are their own. We urge constructive conversations, not destruction, to address disagreements. We do not support hate or harm of any kind. Violence and destruction undermine the very spirit of art and dialogue.”