Pranit More in legal soup over ‘370 biryani’ remark: Maharashtra cyber police books comedian; NCW takes cognisance

Stand-up comedian Pranit More has landed in legal trouble after the controversial “ ₹370 remark” made during his Gurugram show.

According to a Hindustan Times (HT) report, the Maharashtra Cyber Police registered a case against the comedian on Thursday.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) also took suo motu cognisance of the incident over remarks allegedly made during a stand-up comedy show in Gurugram that the commission said appeared to glorify sexual coercion and non-consensual conduct towards a woman.

NCW take suo motu cognisance

The National Commission for Women has issued hearing notices to Pranit More and Himanshu Jangra regarding the remark and has scheduled a hearing in the case on June 22 at 4:00 PM.

Expressing concern over the video's content, the commission said the “normalisation or glorification of behaviour that undermines a woman's consent, dignity and bodily autonomy has far-reaching consequences for women's safety and social attitudes towards gender-based violence.”

The commission said it has sought details regarding the status of an FIR under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other applicable laws, the action taken against those involved, the examination and authentication of the viral video evidence, and the role of organisers, performers, and venue management in the incident.

The commission also sought information on measures proposed by the state police to ensure that public entertainment platforms and digital spaces do not become vehicles for “promoting, encouraging or normalising sexual harassment, coercion, or conduct that violates the dignity of women”.

₹370 controversy

The controversy began after Himanshu Jangra recounted, during the show, a date when he spent ₹370 on a plate of chicken biryani. When the woman asked him to drop her home, Jangra said he sought sexual favours for the money he spent on the biryani. More was seen laughing at Jangra's comment.

Later, both More and Jangra apologised for the incident after facing backlash on social media; the latter also deactivated his Instagram account.

A Gurugram firm also sacked him over his " ₹370 biryani" remark.

The remark quickly spread across social media, with many users condemning it as misogynistic and inappropriate.

Pranit More's apology

Before his Instagram account became inaccessible, More shared a public apology addressing the controversy.

“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 wrote.

The comedian acknowledged that he could have handled the situation differently and said the incident had prompted reflection.

“Live crowdwork often involves reacting in real time, but that’s not an excuse," he added.

More also confirmed that the video had been removed from all platforms.

He said he did not want to “amplify or normalise those views."

In the apology, he further wrote, “I’m human, and like anyone else, I’m constantly learning."

Despite the statement and the clip's removal, the incident continues to generate discussion online, with users divided over whether the apology adequately addressed the concerns raised by critics.

(With agency inputs)