Comedian Pranit More has broken his silence after facing widespread backlash over a viral crowdwork video from one of his recent stand-up shows. The comedian came under fire for not intervening when an audience member made derogatory remarks about a woman during the performance. Days after the controversy escalated and legal action was initiated against him, Pranit issued a public apology and appealed to people for a second chance.
Pranit More apologises after backlash
On Saturday, Pranit took to Instagram and apologised for not stopping audience member Himanshu Jangra from making objectionable remarks about a woman. He said, “Yeh baat mujhe kaafi time se karni thi par mera Instagram suspend hogaya tha. Aap sabne mera ek crowdwork ka video dekha hoga, jiske liye mujhe kaafi hate mil rahi hai aur mujhe lagta hai main yeh hate deserve bhi karta hoon. Kyunki jab main us ladke se crowdwork kar raha tha toh usne kaafi derogatory cheezen boli. But sab log uspe hass rahe the toh main bhi carried away ho gaya aur mujhse lapse of judgment hogaya (I had wanted to address this for quite some time, but my Instagram account had been suspended. Many of you must have seen one of my crowd-work videos, for which I have been receiving a lot of hate, and I feel I deserve that criticism as well. During the crowd-work interaction, the guy made several derogatory remarks. But since everyone around was laughing, I got carried away too, and I had a lapse in judgement).”
He added in Hindi, “I feel it was a major mistake on my part. If I had wanted to, I could have stopped him right there or taken a stand, but I failed to do so. I gave him a platform, and because of that, the situation escalated to this extent. I would like to apologise to everyone who was hurt because of it.”
Pranit further appealed for forgiveness and said, “I am fully cooperating with the authorities in all the legal proceedings that are currently underway. But I would like to request everyone to please give me one chance. I will prove that I can become a better person. This has been a learning experience for me, and I will work on myself as well as on my content. You will be able to see that change reflected in my work in the future.”
What is the ₹370 biryani row?
During a recent stand-up performance by Pranit More in Gurugram, an audience member, Himanshu Jangra, shared an incident from his dating life. While interacting with the comedian, he claimed that after spending ₹370 on a biryani during a date, he felt entitled to receive something in return. Referring to the amount he spent, he remarked, “Since I spent ₹370, I was going to make sure it was worth it.”
The comment drew loud laughter from several men present at the venue, including Pranit. A clip of the exchange was later uploaded on social media, where it quickly went viral. The video sparked widespread criticism online, with many users accusing both Himanshu and Pranit of normalising misogynistic attitudes. Many also questioned Pranit’s decision to describe the interaction as “Peak Gurgaon Content” during the show and later amplify it by sharing the clip on his social media platforms.
Pranit and Himanshu have since been booked by the Maharashtra Cyber Police for obscenity and sexual harassment. The National Commission for Women has also summoned Pranit and Himanshu for glorifying and applauding non-consensual conduct towards a woman and promoting sexual coercion. Himanshu was also fired by his employer after the video surfaced.
