‘Victim card already?’ Pranit More’s comeback announcement triggers fresh backlash, internet questions ‘Ghayal’ title

Stand-up comic Pranit More is making his comeback from the controversy surrounding the Rs. 370 biryani incident, but his comeback is not being accepted by all. Just days after he announced his standup special “Ghayal,” many people slammed him on social media for the timing of his comeback and the controversial name of his special. 

Many people thought the promo for Ghayal was similar to Samay Raina’s post-controversy comeback strategy and both their comebacks were extensively compared on the internet. However, the backlash was of a different level compared to Samay who was welcomed back by an overwhelmingly positive response from the audience whereas Pranit met with skepticism from many sections of the internet. 

One user on the internet wrote, “Samay’s cancellation was uncalled for. His was valid. ghayal?!” While another one commented, “He thinks he can copy Samay.” 

The major talking point was the title of the upcoming show. Many people disdainfully commented on the title, questioning why Pranit chose the word Ghayal (“injured”) to describe his situation instead of taking responsibility for the viral incident. 

Internet users did not leave any chance to troll him by posting comments like, “Why don’t you name it as “Bully- The Bull dog”. A lot of users also commented that he is playing ‘a victim card’ with the title of this show.  

About the Rs370 biryani row – The Pranit More case 

The Pranit More case began when an audience member called Himanshu Jangra mentioned in one of Pranit’s performances how much he spent on a date. Himanshu shared that he paid about Rs. 370 for chicken biryani for the girl he went out with. He stated that when she asked him for a lift home, he was expecting a refund in the form of sex. Pranit found it hilarious and stated that this is so “Peak Gurgaon content”, which leads to a massive outgrab on the internet. 

The video caused a wave of news with topics such as misogyny, consent, and accountability of comedians during crowd-work performances. Later, Pranit issued an apology and accepted that it was inappropriate for him to have laughed at the comments made by the audience. 

On top of that, the scandal continued to progress further in reality apart from just social media. Maharashtra Cyber Police has filed a complaint regarding the misogynistic comments made, while the National Commission for Women has also taken the issue into their hands. 

Prior to this, Pranit had expressed regret over this viral crowd work video by accepting that he is worthy of all the criticism that has come his way and also admitted to have disregarded the harsh comments made during the event.  

This time, with the help of Ghayal, Pranit hopes to start anew. However, judging by the comments of users on the internet, it seems that people are not ready to forgive him yet.