Comedian Yash Bhardwaj has revealed that he was detained in Dubai for 47 days and eventually deported to India over a Reel he posted on Instagram.

In a recent life update, Bhardwaj shared that the ordeal began on March 19 while he was at a gig. He received a call from Dubai Police asking him to report to their headquarters 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,” he wrote.

“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.”

Bhardwaj said he was eventually deported and 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 shared.

Since returning to India, Bhardwaj says he has resumed performing in Mumbai and credited local venues including Khar Comedy Club and Backspace Lower Parel and Bandra as well as producers for helping him get back on stage sooner than expected.

“I’m back on track now, and thankfully, so is my family,” he wrote.

The comedian also shared that he will be spending the next few weeks in Bengaluru, the city where he first discovered stand-up comedy 16 years ago.

“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.”