Comedian Pranit More has issued a public apology after facing widespread criticism over a viral crowdwork video from one of his recent stand-up performances, in which he did not intervene when an audience member made derogatory remarks about a woman.
The controversy escalated after a clip from a show in Gurugram surfaced online, prompting backlash on social media and legal action against both More and the audience member involved.
On Saturday, More took to Instagram and apologised for not stopping audience member Himanshu Jangra from making objectionable remarks during the interaction.
“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,” More said.
“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,” he added.
“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,” the comedian further said.
The controversy stems from a recent stand-up performance by More in Gurugram, during which Jangra recounted an incident from his dating life. While interacting with the comedian, he claimed that after spending Rs 370 on a biryani during a date, he felt entitled to receive something in return.
The comment drew laughter from several men in the audience, including More. A video of the exchange was later shared on social media and quickly went viral.
The clip triggered widespread criticism online, with many users accusing both Jangra and More of normalising misogynistic attitudes. More and Jangra have since been booked by the Maharashtra Cyber Police on charges related to obscenity and sexual harassment.
The National Commission for Women has also summoned the two over allegations of glorifying and applauding non-consensual conduct towards a woman and promoting sexual coercion.
Jangra was also terminated by his employer after the video surfaced.