06 August,2026 10:45 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Pranit More. Pic via Instagram
Comedian Pranit More, who found himself embroiled in a controversy back in June this year after he was slammed for not calling out a deeply misogynistic remark by an audience member during one of his shows. The comedian faced severe backlash on social media, as well as legal troubles, leading to him taking a break from performing stand-up. He had even apologised over the controversy. Now, the comedian and Bigg Boss 19 contestant has announced his comeback with a new stand-up special titled Ghayal.
On Wednesday, Pranit took to Instagram to share a poster for his upcoming stand-up special, Ghayal. Along with the poster, he wrote, "GHAYAL. I can't change what happened, but I can choose who I become because of it. Ghayal is the story of that journey. Beginning in Mumbai."
However, the announcement led netizens to draw comparisons with Samay Raina's comeback special, Still Alive.
The announcement soon sparked reactions from netizens, with many comparing the tone of Pranit's post to Samay's announcement of Still Alive. One user commented, "You are not Samay Raina...don't try to be him. You are not good at this. Why do people assume that they can spark a trashy controversy, make a comeback, and expect everyone to just forgive and forget?" Similarly, another user suggested, "Everyone knew he would pull something similar to what Samay did." A third user wrote, "Samay's cancellation was uncalled for. His was valid. ghayal?!"
On the other hand, several fans also welcomed Pranit's return. One such fan wrote, "Missed you bhau. So happy to see you back after a long time," while another expressed, "Ohhh bhaisahab, finallyyyyy! It's genuinely so good to see you back. Thank you for coming back. Take good care of yourself. We'll always be rooting for you and we're truly proud to be die-hard fans of a true gentleman like you." One fan even wrote, "King is back to entertain."
The controversy surrounding Pranit More started after a remark made by an audience member, Himanshu Jangra, during one of his shows. Jangra recounted a date, claiming that he had spent around Rs 370 on chicken biryani for a woman. Later, when she asked him to drop her home, he said he expected to "recover" the money he had spent on the meal.
Instead of calling out the member, Pranit laughed along with the audience, calling the exchange "Peak Gurgaon content", leading to widespread criticism online.
The controversy even escalated beyond social media as the Maharashtra Cyber Police registered an FIR over the misogynistic remarks, and the National Commission for Women took suo motu cognisance of the matter.
