- Kunal Kamra urged comedians to stop hiding behind crowd work and take ownership of content
- Kamra criticised excuses like storytelling, hard work, and bank balance in comedy
- Social media users debated the value and ethics of crowd work in Indian comedy
Kunal Kamra is one of the country's most prominent stand-up comedians who has been embroiled in his fair share of controversies and has been booked in multiple FIRs in Maharashtra. Amid the 'Rs 370 Biryani' controversy, he took to X (formerly Twitter) and issued a few guidelines for comedians. His simple ask is for comics to stop hiding and take ownership of their content.
'Stop Hiding Behind Crowd Work': Kunal Kamra Amid 'Rs 370 Biryani' Controversy
Taking to the social media platform, Kunal Kamra wrote, "Things comedians should stop hiding behind: Storytelling, crowd work, hard work, bank balance, and parents."
His message could not be clearer than this amid the viral clips from Pranit More's crowd work show. The comedian is under fire for giving a platform to Himanshu Jangra, the man linked to the Rs 370 biryani row.
Things comedians should stop hiding behind…
— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) June 14, 2026
1. Storytelling.
2. Crowd Work.
3. Hard Work
4. Bank Balance.
5. Parents.
Social Media Reactions
Replying to Kamra, a user wrote, "It's not crowd work but let the crowd do all the work."
Another said, "Just because you guys can't do good crowd work doesn't mean crowd work is bad!"
A third said, "So basically, if the jokes are cheap, the excuses are cheaper."
A fourth disagreed with the comedian and questioned, "Why storytelling? If it's funny then I don't see anything wrong about it."
A fifth commented, "Indian comedians stopped writing punchlines and started doing crowd work because an Instagram algorithm won't file an FIR against you for asking a guy about his biryani story."
'Rs 370 Biryani' Row
Pranit More posted a clip from his crowd work show in which Himanshu Jangra narrated a date. He paid Rs 370 for a plate of chicken biryani, and when the girl asked him to drop her off at her home, he said, "Maine kaha ki Rs 370 lage hain to use to wasool to karunga hi [I thought, I invested Rs 370, I need a return]."
He further went on to describe the evening in grave detail. People laughed and even More called him funny and reportedly gave him money at the end. When the clip went viral and the backlash intensified, both men apologised and deactivated their accounts.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu cognisance of the matter. Hearing notices were issued to both Pranit More and Himanshu Jangra, directing them to appear before the Commission on June 22, 2026, at 4 pm.
After the FIR, the comedian said that his account was suspended and posted a video apologising. Himanshu also spoke with his ex-boss in a video interview, which is live on Starvik Design, where he was fired after the backlash escalated.
While many users are empathising with More, people are not ready to forgive Himanshu, saying he was sorry for attending the show and not for what he said.
Along with the 'Rs 370 Biryani' controversy, Dr Sejal Pawar's video from the same show was also circulated online, in which she joked about comparing the sizes of male cadavers' private parts. She apologised later.
As the controversy escalated, Dr. Sejal Pawar has made her Instagram account private.
— Krisha 🌸 (@KrishaAsiagh) June 10, 2026
Here is the full story - On Pranit More's stand-up show, Sejal jokingly revealed how she and her friends sometimes checked the size of male cadavers' private parts and made fun of them.
If a… pic.twitter.com/LJfgOPaUbX
Amid this controversy, Madhur Virli's 2024 video resurfaced in which he joked about rape and mocked the victims and survivors, sparking fresh outrage against him on social media. He has deactivated his account and has not publicly responded to the backlash.
Also Read | 'Rs 370 Ki Biryani' Row Explained: Backlash, Apology, Firing, Pranit More's Instagram Exit
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