The Rs 370 biryani and its lessons

No matter what you think, the R370 biryani incident and its aftermath have exposed the importance of social media in our lives. Representation pic/istock

It's been a crazy week on social media - which has become a court of law in the case of Pranit More/Rs 370 biryani man VS women/masses. More's Instagram account has vanished, and Himanshu Jangra, the Gurugram dude who made the comment about wanting something in return for buying a chicken biryani of Rs 370, has been fired by his company, Starvik Design. Another clip from the show, which is also gathering outrage, features Doctor Sejal Pawar making another unfunny joke by saying she and her colleagues make fun of the genitals of dead bodies. As of Thursday, Maharashtra Cyber also registered an FIR against More, Jangra, and Pawar.

It reminds me of the #MeToo movement which in 2017-2018 was at its height - with many perpetrators being named and shamed on social media. One of the high-profile firings that happened at that time was when a co-founder of micro-fiction platform Terribly Tiny Tales stepped down from his position following multiple public allegations of misconduct.

Internationally, too, acts of racism, public harassment, or dangerous behaviour - and the resulting viral outrage, has prompted many public-facing employers to terminate the "accused" to protect brand reputation. In 2023, an Air Canada pilot attended a political demonstration in Montreal and uploaded a photo of himself on Instagram where he was wearing his official airline uniform while holding a sign that referenced Hitler and a caption "Keep the world clean". Air Canada immediately pulled the pilot from service. In 2015, a Russian paramedic named Tatiana Kulikova was fired from her hospital after she posted selfies flashing obscene gestures in the back of an ambulance with critically injured, unconscious, and dying patients.

In Jangra's case, it's not so easy to take a side - even though social media is full of videos and carousels with everyone weighing in - and many have already condemned him. For me, personally, firing him for what he said at a comedy show, where he might have been trying to be funny himself (even though his sense of humour needs a much-needed tweak), could be an extreme step. There should have been a proper inquiry conducted. We do have to note that the woman in question has not made a complaint. But no matter what you think, the incident has exposed the importance of social media in our lives. And here are five things we need to learn, remember and integrate from this turn of events.

1. On social media, outrage is the most extreme it can get - with every opinion, comment gathering speed like a rolling stone. We used to agree, disagree, argue, debate - now what gets incentivised is extreme opinions and outrage, without any place for retribution - be it men or women involved. It's a very dangerous place to be.

2. People have said it was a comedy show - the comment was misplaced, insensitive and unfunny - even though Jangra thought it was funny. It doesn't matter, because context does not figure on social media.

3. Social media is now not a platform to share your life, or your opinions. It's a place where people demand consequences. This could be beneficial when it mobilises masses so that governments and people in authority can take note. But, sometimes, maybe, it comes down to succumbing to mob mentality. People want instant retribution. Here, everyone is guilty. Innocence doesn't matter.

4. Everything is being recorded. Everything can be used without your consent. Everything you say, and do, will be used against you in the court of Instagram. You are not going to be an exception.

5. But the most important lesson to learn is that visibility has changed the rules of behaviour. And it should. It's no longer okay to behave a certain way just because you are used to behaving like this. Make a change, go to therapy, shed your toxic way of thinking, and become a better person. If only the fear of public shaming can scare you into changing your patterns, then do so. It just takes one person - who you may have hurt, humiliated, or disrespected - to post about it. Then, every post becomes a part of a permanent public record. Employers see it. Future collaborators see it. Audiences see it. Journalists see it. The police sees it.

6. The final lesson is that it's time to be conscious about who you are and what you are putting out in the world. Because people now have an easy court of law on their fingertips, which they will use to get justice. And once it's visible, you need to be accountable.

Jangra may, or may have not, learnt his lesson. He has apologised for what he did, which he said was a "joke" taken out of proportion. His life is now unfolding in front of you. More, who had been termed as the good guy on Bigg Boss, has lost all his goodwill in the span of a week, all because he couldn't call out a fellow man on his toxic behaviour.

But we, all of us living our lives on social media, should learn our lessons. And ask ourselves why we are who we are, and what values do we want to put out in the world. Go to therapy - it's worth it.

See you next week.

Ranting and raving about all that's trending on social media, Aastha Atray Banan is an author, creator, podcaster, and the Editor of your favourite weekend read, Sunday mid-day. She posts at
@aasthaatray on Instagram.
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The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper.