Himanshu Jangra regrets show, says viral dating story was 'improvised'

Himanshu Jangra, facing an FIR and job loss over remarks at a comedy show, says he regrets attending and claims his viral dating story was 'improvised' for entertainment. He has since apologized for his words and the impact on his family.

Jangra Expresses Regret, Claims Story Was 'Improvised'

Himanshu Jangra, who is facing FIR over his remarks in a viral crowd-work video from comedian Pranit More's show, has said he regrets attending the show and claimed that parts of the dating story he narrated on stage were "improvised" for entertainment purpose. Jangra, who was subsequently fired from his job at a Gurugram-based company and has been trolled on the social media, spoke about the controversy in a joint video post, shared on his and the company's Instagram account.

"Maine jo waha pe story batayi, usmein jo ladki ki baat kar raha hoon main... haan maine ek ladki ko date kiya tha... but sir jo maine waha pe bataya woh totally true nahi tha. Wo ek improvise karke story batayi thi maine waha par," he said. (The story I told there- the girl I was talking about... yes, I did date a girl. But sir, what I said there was not completely true. I improvised that story and told it there). Jangra said he had attended the show after watching previous episodes and noticing that audience members often shared similar anecdotes with dark humour.

He apologised for his remarks. "Mai maanta hoon ki maine kuch galat words use kiye the. Mai is ke liye sorry maangna chahunga. Wo maine jo bataya tha wo sirf ek entertainment way me bataya tha. Mera koi bhi aisa intention ya mentality nahi hai," he added. (I admit that I used some inappropriate words. I would like to apologize for that. What I said was only meant to be presented in an entertaining way. I did not have any such intention or mindset).

Impact on Family and Career

Speaking about the impact of the controversy, Jangra said the online backlash reached his hometown and affected his family. "Sir, abhi dekha jaaye to meri condition bohot worse hai. Pichle do hafton se bohot zyada troll ho raha hoon Instagram pe. Ek hafte tak to ghar pe kisi ko pata nahi tha. Mere home town mein kisi ko nahi pata tha," he said. (Sir, if you look at my situation right now, it is very bad. For the past two weeks, I have been heavily trolled. For about a week, no one at home knew about it. Nobody in my hometown knew about it either).

According to Jangra, his family initially learned about the controversy through relatives and neighbours. He said his parents later called him home and questioned him about the incident. "Gharwaalon ne mujhe ghar bula liya aur pucha ki kya ho raha hai. Maine bhi kaha ki galti ho gayi hai mujhse to unhone thoda daanta, samjhaya. Yaha tak phir bhi theek tha but jab unko pata laga ki mere ko job se nikal diya gaya hai to wo bohot tensed ho gaye. Ab ghar waalo ko dekhta hoon to bohot zyada regret feel hota hai ki kyu gaya tha us show mein mai," he said. (My family called me back home and asked me what was going on. I told them that I had made a mistake, and they scolded me and tried to explain things to me. Even up to that point, things were still manageable. But when they found out that I had been fired from my job, they became very worried. Now, whenever I look at my family, I feel a lot of regret and keep wondering why I ever went on that show).

Jangra maintained that his public statement and caption were not intended to seek sympathy but to take responsibility for his actions and learn from the experience.

Company Issues Statement

In the caption accompanying the video, the company stated, "We believe that every situation deserves context, conversation, and clarity. As requested by many members of our community, we invited Himanshu Jangra to share his perspective and address the questions surrounding the ongoing discussion. This conversation does not represent an endorsement of any statement, action, or viewpoint. It is simply an opportunity to hear directly from the individual involved. We encourage everyone to watch with an open mind, remain respectful, and avoid harassment of any individual." https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZhK4BhvYkW/?

Comedian Pranit More Apologises

Pranit More also issued a public apology, admitting that he should have intervened during the crowd-work interaction. "I think I deserve this hate because when I was doing crowd work with that guy he said a lot of derogatory things, but everyone was laughing at him so I got carried away," More said in a video shared on Instagram on June 13. Calling it a "lapse in judgement," More added that he had given the remarks a platform and apologised to those hurt by the incident.

FIR Registered, Action Taken Against Others

Maharashtra Cyber has registered an FIR against More, Jangra, MBBS student Sejal Pawar and others over the alleged publication and circulation of obscene and objectionable content linked to the stand-up comedy show. The case has been filed under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Separately, KEM Hospital and Medical College placed Sejal Pawar on a 15-day forced leave after a preliminary inquiry into another viral clip from the same show. The institution has also recommended a five-member committee to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said earlier that freedom of expression must be exercised responsibly and should not infringe on the dignity of others. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)