Stand-up comedian Madhur Virli has issued an apology after a clip from his 2024 show Love & Latex resurfaced on social media and triggered a backlash.
The controversy emerged amid the ongoing outrage over ‘Rs 370 biryani’ remark made by an audience member at comedian Pranit More show
A video from Virli's earlier performance began circulating online, drawing sharp reactions from users, many of whom called for action against the comedian.
Virli addressed the controversy in a statement posted on his YouTube channel.
“This is to apologise for a video of mine that is currently being shared online. The clip being circulated is from a performance I did around two years ago. Soon after performing that bit, I understood how wrong it was and took it down at that time, long before the clip started circulating again recently,” he said.
“I do believe comedy can question ideas and engage with difficult subjects. But certain topics require sensitivity, context and informed discretion. When an attempt falls short, the only honest thing to do is acknowledge it, apologise and do better. This is one of those moments for me,” he added.
Concluding his statement, Virli said, “Regarding Instagram, I had deactivated my account around six months ago. I am genuinely sorry.”
The backlash stemmed from a clip in which the comedian commented on rape cases and discussed a hypothetical scenario involving murder following rape. In the video, he speculated on what a perpetrator might be thinking before deciding to murder a victim.
An Instagram user who shared the clip criticised the joke, writing, “Please stop this nonsense, disgusting things in the name of comedy.”
Meanwhile, comedian Pranit More issued a second apology after facing criticism over remarks made during a show that drew widespread backlash. “I deserve this hate. That man said many derogatory things, but everyone was laughing so I also got carried away. This was a big mistake,” he said.