Who is Pranit More?
Pranit More was born into a modest Maharashtrian family; his father worked as a bus conductor. Initially dreaming of becoming a pilot, he graduated with a BMS degree from K.J. Somaiya College and a Master's in Marketing from the Welingkar Institute of Management. He started his career as a sales executive at Autobahn Automotive in Navi Mumbai from May 2013 to January 2015.
Leaving his job, he found his true calling as a content creator at Radio Mirchi from March 2019 to February 2023. Alongside, he pursued stand-up comedy, performing at open mics. His famous specials include 'Baap Ko Mat Sikha' (2024) and 'Back Bencher' (2024). He gained mainstream fame after appearing on Bigg Boss 19, where he was seen as a self-made, middle-class man.
The Controversy
During a live show in Gurugram, an audience member, Himanshu Jangra, reportedly spoke about taking a woman out and spending Rs370 on chicken biryani. He then suggested that because he spent that amount, he expected a 'return' in the form of physical intimacy. The audience laughed, and Pranit engaged with the joke, later rewarding Jangra with Rs5000.
Many criticized Pranit for not challenging the harmful comment. The incident raised questions about misogyny and entitlement. Jangra later apologized and deactivated his Instagram; his employer, Starvik Design, terminated his employment.
Backlash and Apology
Pranit faced backlash from viewers and industry figures. Influencer Dolly Singh wrote, 'If you can act mature and women-respecting in your sets, please do the same in your crowdwork.' Kusha Kapila added, 'This is not comedy! It's content designed to get a reaction.' Others like Sakshi Shivdasani, Uorfi Javed, Raunaq Rajani, and Elvish Yadav also commented.
Pranit issued an apology on Instagram: 'The comments made by the audience member do not reflect my views. I should have challenged the remark instead of laughing. That was a lapse in judgment.' He then deactivated his Instagram account. The incident has sparked debate about performative allyship and male entitlement.
