Amid mounting backlash online, comedian Pranit More seems to have deactivated his Instagram account.
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A search for his profile shows zero followers and zero following, suggesting that the account has either been temporarily disabled or taken down.
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The move comes as backlash continues to grow over a viral crowd-work video from Moreโs show that triggered a massive social media controversy.
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The controversial, now deleted clip shows an audience member claiming he needed to “recover his money’s worth” after buying a Rs 370 biryani for a woman.
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Earlier, More had issued a statement admitting that he had made a mistake in the way he responded during the show. Soon after the video started receiving backlash from all quarters, the comedian took to Instagram to state that he should have challenged the audience member’s remark rather than laughing and moving on. Calling it a “lapse in judgment,” he acknowledged the concerns raised by viewers.
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“I’ve seen the criticism regarding a recent crowdwork clip. The comments made by the audience member do not reflect my views. Looking back, I should have challenged the remark instead of laughing and moving on. That was a lapse in judgment on my part,” he said.
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Slamming the remarks as deeply misogynistic, netizens and prominent influencers have called out both the viewer’s entitlement and the comedian’s poor handling of the situation.
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Actor and content creator Kusha Kapila too weighed in on the debate.
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Also read: ‘Maintain decency’: SC allows Allahbadia to resume show
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Kapila stated that accountability does not rest solely on the audience member who made the controversial comment. Following intense online backlash, More issued a public apology, admitting he should have handled the situation differently.
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Taking to Instagram, Kapila encouraged women to continue calling out offensive content. She emphasised that creators must take responsibility for their content, arguing that uploading controversial material is a conscious choice rather than just comedy.
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“Urge women to call out disgusting comedy plenty. Please darna mat (Don’t feel scared). Bakwaas kiya hai toh drag karo badiya se (If they have spoken nonsense, then feel free to drag it too). Uploading a clip like that is a choice. Choosing to crack certain jokes and hosting that on your channel is a choice. This, btw, is not comedy. This is content designed to get a reaction,” she wrote.
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Kusha also said she was pleased to see women speaking up against the clip and welcomed the widespread criticism it had received online.
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Expressing her satisfaction over the response, she wrote that it felt “bahut achcha” to see people holding such content accountable. “Bahut achcha lag raha hai! Bahut mazza aa raha hai! Aaj main apne paiso se order karke biryani khaungi.”
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In another video shared on her Instagram Stories, the actor urged men to speak up when they encounter such remarks. Without directly asking them to “pick a side,” she suggested that simply calling out inappropriate comments made by other men would be enough.