At a recent crowdwork show by comedian Pranit More, what began as an attempt at audience banter quickly spiralled into a controversy that would play out far beyond the comedy stage. In a now-deleted video posted by More, an audience member, identified as Himashu Jangra, described a date in explicitly transactional terms, suggesting that because he had paid R370 for a biryani, he expected sex in return. Rather than shutting down the remarks, More appeared to encourage the exchange, drawing laughs from sections of the crowd.

Within hours of the clip being posted on More’s account with 38 lakh followers, outrage erupted across Instagram. Users condemned both the audience member’s comments and the comedian’s handling of the situation. The backlash snowballed through reposts, reaction videos and angry comment sections. More eventually deleted the video, but by then the damage was done.