Jaaved Jaaferi says society is intolerant of comedy now, discusses Pranit More row
Jaaved Jaaferi backed Pranit More's right to perform after the comedian faced backlash over a crowd-work clip. He said the reaction showed how comedians become easy targets and humour is now judged without context.
Actor Jaaved Jaaferi has come out in support of stand-up comedian Pranit More amid the recent controversy surrounding his comedy act. He argued that comedians often become "soft targets" whenever public outrage erupts. Reflecting on the changing nature of audience sensitivities, Jaaved said humour is increasingly being judged by people who do not even constitute half of our population.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Jaaved backed Pranit More's right to perform. He emphasised that comedy is ultimately a matter of choice and that audiences are free to attend or avoid a show.
"He's an individual. He's a comedian. People can choose to buy a ticket to his show or not. But what happens is that comedians and actors become soft targets. While there are so many larger issues around us, people sweep those under the carpet and focus on an easy target simply because he's a comedian. They're always the easiest people to go after," he said.
The 63-year-old actor addressed concerns about objectionable content. He said that parents should take responsibility for what their children consume rather than demanding blanket restrictions.
"You control your children. If you don't want them to watch something, that's your responsibility. You decide what they're exposed to on social media and the internet. There are all kinds of content online, even pornography. Can we stop all of it? No. People have to make their own choices," he added.
The Dhamaal 4 actor further argued that society has become far more intolerant than it was in previous decades.
"Society has become extremely intolerant in our country now, and everything is being sensationalised. This wasn't happening in the 1990s or even the 2000s. Films had jokes, people made fun of things, and audiences enjoyed them. If I dressed up as a sadhu or a mullah in a comic situation back then, nobody felt offended. Today, the same thing would immediately be labelled offensive," he shared.
While concluding the conversation, Jaaferi also addressed the criticism faced by Pranit over his crowd-work segment. He argued that comedy is often judged without considering the context in which it is performed.
According to him, those who attended the show and laughed at the jokes may later have felt uncomfortable, but much of the backlash appeared to be coming from outsiders who were quick to pass judgment despite not being part of the audience.
"People who were laughing at the jokes were enjoying them at the time. Later, some may have felt a bit queasy. But those objecting are often outsiders who become very judgemental. Everybody becomes a moral authority, a religious authority. People say, 'This doesn't happen in our religion,' but there are many religions that don't have a problem with such things," he concluded.
Pranit More controversy
The controversy erupted after a clip from Pranit More's stand-up performance in Gurugram began circulating on social media. In the video, 23-year-old audience member Himanshu Jangra spoke about spending Rs 370 on a plate of chicken biryani during a date with a woman and remarked that, having spent that amount, he expected a return on his investment.
The comment quickly drew criticism online. Pranit, too, faced backlash from social media users for laughing at the remark and allowing Jangra to continue speaking during the crowd-work segment.
Following the widespread criticism, Pranit More and Himanshu Jangra issued fresh video apologies addressing the controversy.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Jaaved Jafferi is currently hosting India’s Best Dancer alongside Karisma Kapoor, Geeta Kapur and Terence Lewis. Hosted by Haarsh Limbachiyaa, the show premiered on Sony Entertainment Television on June 6. He was also seen reprising his iconic character, Manav, in Dhamaal 4. The film, led by an ensemble cast, including Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh and Anjali Ananda, is currently running in theatres.
Actor Jaaved Jaaferi has come out in support of stand-up comedian Pranit More amid the recent controversy surrounding his comedy act. He argued that comedians often become "soft targets" whenever public outrage erupts. Reflecting on the changing nature of audience sensitivities, Jaaved said humour is increasingly being judged by people who do not even constitute half of our population.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Jaaved backed Pranit More's right to perform. He emphasised that comedy is ultimately a matter of choice and that audiences are free to attend or avoid a show.
"He's an individual. He's a comedian. People can choose to buy a ticket to his show or not. But what happens is that comedians and actors become soft targets. While there are so many larger issues around us, people sweep those under the carpet and focus on an easy target simply because he's a comedian. They're always the easiest people to go after," he said.
The 63-year-old actor addressed concerns about objectionable content. He said that parents should take responsibility for what their children consume rather than demanding blanket restrictions.
"You control your children. If you don't want them to watch something, that's your responsibility. You decide what they're exposed to on social media and the internet. There are all kinds of content online, even pornography. Can we stop all of it? No. People have to make their own choices," he added.
The Dhamaal 4 actor further argued that society has become far more intolerant than it was in previous decades.
"Society has become extremely intolerant in our country now, and everything is being sensationalised. This wasn't happening in the 1990s or even the 2000s. Films had jokes, people made fun of things, and audiences enjoyed them. If I dressed up as a sadhu or a mullah in a comic situation back then, nobody felt offended. Today, the same thing would immediately be labelled offensive," he shared.
While concluding the conversation, Jaaferi also addressed the criticism faced by Pranit over his crowd-work segment. He argued that comedy is often judged without considering the context in which it is performed.
According to him, those who attended the show and laughed at the jokes may later have felt uncomfortable, but much of the backlash appeared to be coming from outsiders who were quick to pass judgment despite not being part of the audience.
"People who were laughing at the jokes were enjoying them at the time. Later, some may have felt a bit queasy. But those objecting are often outsiders who become very judgemental. Everybody becomes a moral authority, a religious authority. People say, 'This doesn't happen in our religion,' but there are many religions that don't have a problem with such things," he concluded.
Pranit More controversy
The controversy erupted after a clip from Pranit More's stand-up performance in Gurugram began circulating on social media. In the video, 23-year-old audience member Himanshu Jangra spoke about spending Rs 370 on a plate of chicken biryani during a date with a woman and remarked that, having spent that amount, he expected a return on his investment.
The comment quickly drew criticism online. Pranit, too, faced backlash from social media users for laughing at the remark and allowing Jangra to continue speaking during the crowd-work segment.
Following the widespread criticism, Pranit More and Himanshu Jangra issued fresh video apologies addressing the controversy.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Jaaved Jafferi is currently hosting India’s Best Dancer alongside Karisma Kapoor, Geeta Kapur and Terence Lewis. Hosted by Haarsh Limbachiyaa, the show premiered on Sony Entertainment Television on June 6. He was also seen reprising his iconic character, Manav, in Dhamaal 4. The film, led by an ensemble cast, including Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh and Anjali Ananda, is currently running in theatres.
