Comedian and Bigg Boss 19 finalist has finally addressed the controversy surrounding a viral crowd work video that sparked widespread criticism on social media. The clip, which circulated online over the past few days, showed More laughing at and encouraging an audience member’s remarks about a date, comments that many viewers found offensive and misogynistic. Following the backlash, the comedian has issued a public apology, acknowledged his mistake and admitted that he should have handled the situation differently. More also revealed that the video has now been removed from all official platforms.
Pranit More’s ‘Peak Gurgaon moment’ controversy
The controversy began after a clip from one of Pranit More’s performances went viral online. During the crowd work segment, an audience member narrated a story about taking a woman on a date. The man claimed that after spending approximately Rs 360-370 on chicken biryani during the outing, he later thought about how he would ‘recover’ the money he had spent. While recounting the incident, he made remarks that many social media users interpreted as suggesting entitlement to s*xual favour in return for paying for the date.
Pranit More is a stand-up comedian
As the audience member continued his story, More was seen laughing and responding with the phrase, “Peak Gurgaon content.” The man, who said his name was Himanshu, made another remark implying s*xual access after spending money on the woman. He claimed he had considered taking her back to his room but felt it would seem awkward on the first day. Throughout parts of the interaction, More was seen laughing, clapping and encouraging the audience member to continue. At the end of the segment, he even handed the man money, ‘applauding’ him.
Pranit More breaks silence on viral clip
Soon after the clip went viral, social media users questioned why the comedian did not challenge or call out the remarks being made on stage. Several viewers argued that by laughing along, he appeared to normalise or endorse the audience member’s views.
More has now taken to Instagram Stories to share a detailed statement addressing the issue. “I’ve seen the criticism regarding a recent crowdwork clip,” he wrote. The comedian clarified that the audience member’s comments did not reflect his personal beliefs. He admitted that, upon reflection, he should have spoken up during the interaction instead of simply reacting and moving on. “That was a lapse in judgement on my part,” he stated.
Pranit More’s apology note
More explained that live crowd work often requires comedians to react instantly to unpredictable situations. However, he accepted that this reality should not be viewed as an excuse for his response. “I take the feedback seriously and will be more thoughtful in how I handle similar situations going forward,” he added. The comedian also revealed that the controversial clip has been removed from all platforms to ensure the remarks are not further amplified.
“I sincerely apologise for whatever happened, and I’ll take this lesson forward. I’m human, and like anyone else, I’m constantly learning. Being called out when I get something wrong doesn’t make me smaller, but it helps me grow,” More wrote. He concluded by acknowledging that he could have handled the situation better and promised to be more mindful in the future.