'Not The Person I Knew': Former Boss Of Man Behind 'Rs 370 Biryani' Remark

The Rs 370 biryani controversy has taken many turns since a video clip from comedian Pranit More's stand-up show went viral. 

Vivek Vishwakarma, founder of Gurugram-based design and marketing agency Starvik Design, has spoken to NDTV's Managing Editor Shiv Aroor, offering the first detailed account of what happened inside the company after the clip spread across social media, and why he eventually decided to let Jangra go.

What Happened And Why The Clip Went Viral

For those who missed it, a crowdwork video from More's stand-up show began circulating online, featuring a 22-year-old audience member from Haryana named Himanshu Jangra. In the clip, Jangra spoke about a dating experience and implied that spending Rs 370 on a chicken biryani during a date entitled him to something in return, a remark widely understood as a reference to physical intimacy. The video was later deleted. More also apologised.

'Things Were Offensive, But That Was Not The Person I Knew'

Vishwakarma told NDTV that he initially did not pay close attention to the clips when they first appeared. "I was busy with office stuff," he said. It was only after messages, emails and negative comments began flooding the company's digital pages that he watched the full video.

"Things were offensive, but that was not the person that I knew at the workplace -- that was a totally different personality," he said. "I know his mindset. He is quite a good employee."

Vishwakarma said he had conducted an internal review and spoken to his team, including female colleagues. No complaints about Jangra's conduct in the workplace were found. "The team described him as professional, respectful, hardworking, and well-behaved at work," he said in an earlier public statement.

When asked whether he had confronted Jangra directly about the incident, the founder said he had remained in contact with Jangra throughout, as there were ongoing projects, but he had not asked him to explain himself.

"I never came on a direct conversation with Himanshu over -- why did you do this, why did you say something like this," he said. He added that he had treated it as a personal matter outside the workplace.

That said, Jangra did offer an explanation unprompted. Vishwakarma said Jangra had pointed to the nature of the show, which was called the Ashleel show. "The vibe, the aura of the show is like that," Vishwakarma said, relaying what Jangra had told him. He also suggested that Jangra's age and background were factors, "For a 22-year-old guy coming from a town in Haryana and getting all those things -- he was already more influencer type."

Vishwakarma also placed some responsibility on More. "Pranit should also have cut it then and there itself from his first comment," he said.

Vishwakarma said Starvik Design is a design and marketing agency that relies on its online presence to attract clients. The backlash was hitting the company hard.

"Every post got hundreds and thousands of bad comments. Two clients we were in talks with also stepped back when this arose," he said. "My work was getting hampered."

He also added that Jangra had stopped coming to the office two days before the termination. "He was also not comfortable," Vishwakarma said.

When asked, it had been a business decision, Vishwakarma agreed without hesitation. "Yes, yes, yes, totally, totally. It was a business decision for myself, my brand."

Jangra Is Now Isolated, Receiving Threat Calls

Vishwakarma said he has remained in touch with Jangra since the termination. He said Jangra has retreated to his hometown, cut off from his social circle.

"His family, friends, circle, everybody got to know about this. He is getting threat calls and everything. He has isolated himself there," Vishwakarma said.

On the question of whether Jangra regrets what he said, Vishwakarma was clear. "Yes," he said. "The reason why people are angry is very justified."

He said Jangra had told him, "Sir, the vibe I was getting from there -- the show was about that -- and people were that much comfortable. I also got that much comfortable, and I went there. I also had a little -- I didn't know that it would go viral."

Vishwakarma said he told Jangra that he should have minded his words.

In his earlier public statement, Vishwakarma had urged people not to reduce the episode to pure condemnation. "A person can be wrong. A person can make a terrible mistake. A person should face consequences. But I hope we never become a society that believes people cannot learn, reflect, apologise, or change," he said. "Social media trolling is not a joke, and that too for a 22-year-old mind."

He added, "My hope is that Himanshu reflects on this chapter of his life. My hope is that he learns from it."