NCW Rejects Apologies in ‘Rs 370 Biryani’ Row, Orders Further Hearing

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has rejected the apologies tendered by stand-up comedians Pranit More and Madhur Virli , as well as audience member Himanshu Jangra , in connection with separate cases involving alleged derogatory remarks against women, sources said on Monday.

The three appeared before the commission during a hearing convened over content that the NCW said was detrimental to the dignity of women . While all three expressed regret for their remarks, the commission declined to accept their apologies and fixed a subsequent date for further proceedings .

During the hearing, NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar reportedly expressed serious concern over the growing trend of normalising offensive and demeaning content about women in the name of comedy. She reiterated that while the commission supports creative freedom and freedom of expression , such rights cannot be used to justify content that trivialises crimes against women or undermines their bodily autonomy and dignity.

The controversy involving More and Jangra stems from a viral crowd-work interaction during one of More’s stand-up performances. In the clip, Jangra recounted taking a woman on a date and spending Rs 370 on chicken biryani . He then suggested that he expected intimacy in return when the woman asked to be dropped home, prompting laughter from More and sections of the audience.

The video sparked widespread outrage on social media , with critics accusing the duo of promoting misogynistic attitudes and normalising non-consensual behaviour . Following the backlash, both More and Jangra issued public apologies and deactivated their Instagram accounts. Jangra was also reportedly dismissed from his job at a Gurugram-based company over the incident.

In a separate matter, comedian Madhur Virli was summoned by the NCW over alleged derogatory comments about women made during a stand-up act.

The commission is expected to continue examining both cases in the next round of hearings as it assesses whether the remarks violated standards of dignity, consent and respect for women .