From Pranit More to Samay Raina: 5 Indian comedians who sparked a national debate with their content

For years, becoming an engineer, lawyer or doctor was the only career option available for an Indian child. They pursued, science, commerce or arts, with the hope of excelling in one of the three fields. However, with the progress of the 20th century, some new and enigmatic careers sprang up, including those of an influencer or a stand-up comedian.

While most of the time, Indian parents are welcoming towards these careers, albeit they guarantee an immense income, there are times they become sceptical. Currently, it is one of those times. Numerous comedians have landed in great trouble due to their content entering mainstream conversations and sparking national debates. Here are 5 of them:

Pranit More

Fresh off the boat or let's say still on it, is Marathi standup comedian Pranit More. Known for his slightly off-handed jokes, two of his live shows are currently at the centre of online trolling and national conversations right now. Recently, at a live show in Gurugram, Himanshu Jangra, a 23-year-old web developer shared a tale of his own misogyny. Jangra spoke about taking a woman out on a date and spending Rs 370 on chicken biryani. He then suggested that because he had paid for her meal, he expected a return on the money in the form of physical intimacy. “Maine kaha ki Rs 370 lage hain to use to wasool to karunga hi,” he said. He went on to share how he further initiated physical contact with the woman even though he wasn't 'feeling it'. The entire statement received applause from the audience and an award of Rs 5,000 from the comedian. It sparked a conversation about misogyny and consent on a national level with an FIR being registered against both men in Maharashtra.

Vir Das

In November 2021, Vir Das performed 'Two Indias' monologue at the John F. Kennedy Centre in Washington D.C. However, it turned out to be much more than a comedy set, triggering a nationwide discussion about patriotism, gender violence, free speech and whether artists should publicly criticise their own country before global audiences. "I come from an India where we worship women during the day and rape them at night," Das said. "I come from an India where we take pride in being vegetarians and yet run over the farmers who grow our vegetables," he added. His words received mixed reviews with some supporting the comedian for being honest and others targeting him for exposing the country on a global stage.

Kunal Kamra

Kunal Kamra is one Indian comedian who has made many a dragons breath fire out loud. Once, he referred to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as 'gaddar' leading to protests, police complaints and even vandalism. The incident sparked a conversation about freedom of expression and intolerance towards criticism in what is known as the world's largest democracy.

Agrima Joshua

Mumbai-based stand-up comic Agrima Joshua created major headlines in 2019, when she took a dig at some of the outlandish claims made about a proposed statue of medieval Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji to be built by the state government in the Arabian Sea. Not only was Joshua attacked but she was also threatened online along with the venue of her performance being vandalised. It brought to the limelight how easily female comics could be targeted and threatened as compared to male comics, also underlining how women are mostly easily attacked online and in person.

Samay Raina

Samay Raina's India's Got Latent became one of India's biggest comedy controversies after offensive remarks made by a man received a reply from an influencer on the panel, Apoorva Mukhija. While Mukhija, better known as 'Rebel Kid' initially faced massive wrath, the episode revealed how women can be easily targeted for giving a befitting rebuttal to a male's vulgar comments. It brought to light how men are often forgiven for their comments while women are judged and scrutinised for longer. Not just Mukhija, Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahabadia also received FIRs against them for the incident along with online trolling.