Comedian Pranit More has been trending online for weeks following his 'Rs 370 Ki Biryani' clip, which sparked widespread criticism and debate. While many have condemned his actions, some believe the backlash should subside.
On June 11, Munawar Faruqui took an indirect dig at his friend Pranit More on X, posting, 'Stop calling it a comedy show.' This occurred as backlash against More peaked. Now, Faruqui appears to have changed his stance. He shared a video on Instagram acknowledging that both the comedian and audience members made problematic statements but stressed that continuous online targeting is not the right response.
Faruqui said, 'Mujhe lagta hai ab hum sabko tham jana chahiye. Comedian ne bahut galat baat boli, crowd work mein bhi bahut galat baat hui. Us ladki ne bhi jo bola, main usse disagree karta hoon. Unhone jo bola, mujhe sunna pasand nahi hai, lekin ek level hota hai.'
He added that those involved have faced major professional, legal, and personal consequences, and the controversy should not be exploited for social media content. 'FIR ho gayi, job chali gayi, career khatam ho gaya, samaj mein izzat chali gayi, sab ho gaya. Unke saath unki baaton ke liye bahut bura hua hai, lekin ab tham jao. Content ke naam par jo unhe nichoda ja raha hai, bas karo bhai,' he said.
Faruqui warned about the dangers of prolonged online harassment, which has led to suicides. 'Un logon ne jo baat boli, uska zakhm unhe mil gaya. Jab kisi ki laash niklegi na, tab tumhe samajh aayega. Bas karo ab. Har cheez ki ek limit hoti hai. Legally unpar jo hona hoga, ho jayega, par tum ab chup ho jao.'
What happened in the 'Rs 370 Ki Biryani' controversy?
The controversy stems from a clip during Pranit More's live show in Gurugram. In the video, audience member Himanshu Jangra made an obscene comment about spending Rs 370 on a chicken biryani for a date and expecting physical intimacy in return. 'Maine kaha ki Rs 370 lage hain to use to wasool to karunga hi,' he said. While the audience laughed, More awarded Jangra Rs 5,000.
As the clip went viral, both faced backlash: Jangra for ignoring consent and More for not reprimanding him. The Maharashtra Home Department ordered a probe, and the Cyber Cell filed cases against both. They have since issued multiple apologies.
