₹370 biryani date row: ‘Shayad main ye hate deserve karta hoon,’ says Pranit More in apology video

Stand-up comedian Pranit More has issued a fresh apology over the controversy surrounding audience member Himanshu Jangra’s Rs 370 biryani remark, after facing massive backlash on social media. In a video shared on Instagram, More called his response during the show a “lapse in judgement” and said he wanted to address the issue earlier, but his Instagram account had been suspended.

More said, “Hello, toh baat yeh hai ki main yeh baat kaafi time se karni thi, lekin mera Instagram suspend ho gaya tha. Aap sabne mera crowdwork dekha hoga, jiske wajah se mujhe kaafi hate mil rahi hai. Aur mujhe lagta hai ki main shayad is hate main deserve bhi karta hoon.”

He added, “Kyunki jab main us ladke ke saath crowd work kar raha tha, usne kaafi derogatory baatein boli aur sab log bhi us par hans rahe the. Mujhe lagta hai ki ye meri sabse badi galti thi. Main chahta toh usey wahin rok sakta tha, lekin maine use ek platform diya jisse cheezein itni escalate ho gayi. Jinko bhi is wajah se hurt hua hai, un sab se main maafi maangna chahta hoon. Jo bhi legal proceedings mere khilaaf chal rahi hain, unmein main authorities ke saath cooperate bhi kar raha hoon. Main aapse bas yahi request karta hoon ki mujhe ek aur chance diya jaye. Main behtar insaan ban kar dikhaunga.”

Watch full video here

The controversy began after a clip from More’s stand-up show in Gurugram went viral. In it, Jangra spoke about a date and said, “Maine kaha ki Rs 370 lage hain to use to wasool to karunga hi.” The remark was widely criticised as he appeared to suggest that paying for a plate of chicken biryani entitled him to something in return from the woman.

The matter escalated after a longer version of the interaction surfaced online. The full clip showed Jangra describing, in graphic detail, how he physically grabbed his date and got intimate with her, while More continued to laugh and the audience cheered. The episode widened the debate beyond the original clip, raising questions around misogyny, consent, accountability and the role of comedians when such comments are made on stage.

More had earlier apologised on June 2, saying he should have challenged the remark instead of laughing and moving on. Jangra also apologised. On June 8, Jangra’s employer, Starvik Design, said his employment had been terminated. On June 11, the National Commission for Women summoned More and Jangra, and later the same day Maharashtra Cyber registered a case against More, Jangra, Dr Sejal Pawar and others over the alleged publication and circulation of obscene and objectionable content online.

With legal proceedings under way and the controversy continuing to grow, More’s latest statement places his apology at the centre of a wider row that began with a viral crowd-work clip and has since expanded into a larger public debate.