Prateek Tanmay
3 min readNew DelhiJun 3, 2026 11:55 AM IST
An Indian comedian revealed that he was detained in Dubai for 47 days before being deported to India. In an Instagram post, Yash Bhardwaj described the experience as emotionally exhausting, which unfolded after he shared a “harmless, dumb” reel.
Sharing the update on Instagram, Bhardwaj revealed that the reel was about how Google Maps allegedly malfunctioned in Dubai amid tensions linked to the conflict in the Middle East. The video, which was uploaded in March, prompted authorities to summon him, eventually leading to his detention.
Why was Yash Bhardwaj detained in Dubai?
“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,” Bhardwaj wrote in the caption.
He further stressed that he thought the reel was “dumb”; however, it did not land well.
“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 added.
After spending 47 days in custody, the comedian was deported and returned to India on May 5. He shared that he has since been staying in Mumbai and slowly rebuilding his routine. Reflecting on the impact of the ordeal, Bhardwaj shared that the experience affected both him and his family in multiple ways, including emotionally, physically, and financially.
“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 said. Despite the setback, Bhardwaj said things have gradually improved and that he has already resumed performing.
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“I’m back on track now, and thankfully, so is my family. Mumbai has been kind to me, and I got back on stage much sooner than I expected,” he added.
Looking ahead, the comedian said he plans to spend time in Bengaluru “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,” Bhardwaj concluded the post.
See the post here:
The post amassed numerous reactions, with a user noting, “A speed bump in a crazy journey. Cant wait to cross paths with you again. I owe a lot to you for pushing me to be better. One of the OGs.”
Another user commented, “I’m so sorry you were subjected to all of that but so happy you can be somewhere you can thrive!”
“Oh wow! So these stories about Dubai are true. Sorry, you had to go through this,” a third user reacted.
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DISCLAIMER: This article is for general informational purposes and does not provide legal counsel, travel advisories, or official institutional verification.
