New Delhi, India - The Indian stand-up comedy scene is facing a backlash after several comedians were accused of making rape jokes and disregarding consent. The controversy began when a video of a comedian, Pranit More, went viral, showing him rewarding a man with ₹5,000 for sharing a graphic and disturbing story about his date with a woman who repeatedly said 'no'.
The video sparked outrage, with many calling out More and the audience for their behavior. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and issued summons to More and the man who shared the story, Himanshu Jangra. Jangra has since been fired from his job and faces an FIR from the Maharashtra Cyber Police.
However, the controversy took another turn when clips from More's 'Ladies Special' show resurfaced, showing a medical student, Sejal Pawar, cracking jokes on genitalia of male cadavers. The college has initiated an internal inquiry and placed Pawar on 15 days' compulsory leave.
The incident has sparked a wider discussion about live comedy and the format's expanding boundaries, where crowd laughter ratifies content, satire gives way to crudity, and fleeting stage moments become permanent viral material.
Several comedians have distanced themselves from the row, questioning the very idea of crowd work as a format. Comedian Kunal Kamra said that comedians should stop hiding behind storytelling, crowd work, hard work, bank balance, and parents. Stand-up comedian Devesh Dixit criticised the way crowd work is being used in stand-up today, arguing that the monthly rush for uploads has turned performers into content creators prioritising virality over craft.
Aditi Mittal, also a comedian, is unimpressed by the series of apologies, saying that this is how these environments operate, and this is how people speak. She added that the men involved disappear from the internet for a few days, weeks, or months, eventually returning to collaborate with major streaming platforms and brands.
