CHENNAI: A recent exchange between an audience member and comedian Pranit More during a standup show has sparked widespread debate online. What began as a crowd-work interaction quickly evolved into a conversation about dating expectations, consent, accountability and the responsibilities of comedians on stage. The controversy has reopened an old question: should stand-up comedy merely reflect society and its attitudes or should it also challenge problematic beliefs? For many performers and event organisers, the answer lies in recognising the influence that comes with holding a microphone and commanding a room.
Akshara Chitty Babu, a second-year medical student, poet and open-mic host, believes that every stage should be a safe space for both performers and audiences. “I host poetry open mics where people come together to perform spoken-word poetry, stand-up comedy, music, dance and singing. I believe poetry encompasses all of these art forms. As someone who has stood in front of an audience, I always try to ensure that everyone present, whether a performer or an audience member, feels safe enough to express themselves,” Akshara says.
While she encourages open expression, she believes certain boundaries should never be crossed. “I draw the line at negative criticism, hateful speech, misogyny, homophobia or anything that creates a harmful atmosphere. It can be difficult when these things are disguised as humour, banter or feedback, but it does not take much effort to show morality and humanity.”
Akshara points out that crowd-work demands a unique level of responsibility because it involves engaging directly with the audience and responding to unpredictable situations in real time. “Crowd-work means opening your stage to the minds of the audience and their thought processes, whether positive or negative. In this incident, I do not know what is more concerning: Himanshu Jangra’s statement disguised as humour, the audience that laughed along or Pranit More’s lack of accountability in failing to stop the situation from escalating.”
According to her, while the audience member’s comments were clearly problematic, the comedian’s response was equally troubling. “What Himanshu Jangra said was wrong. But I also feel that Pranit More turning a confession involving sexual assault into a joke simply to keep the laughs going makes him equally responsible. At that point, he becomes no different from an audience member making such a statement,” she shares.
The youngster believes the situation could have been handled differently. “Instead of holding the audience member accountable, he encouraged him by asking the crowd to clap, allowing him to continue the story. He even rewarded him for sharing the experience. Real-time crowd-work tests a person’s judgement, values and presence of mind. Anyone standing before an audience must be prepared for difficult situations.”
For Akshara, the issue goes beyond a single performance. “It only takes a minute to stop someone, speak about consent and women’s safety and remind people of basic values. It takes the same amount of time to laugh and avoid accountability. In this case, he should have chosen the former.”
She feels the incident forces audiences and performers alike to reflect on an uncomfortable question. “This situation makes us think about where humour stops being humour and starts becoming misogyny disguised as a joke.”
While performers carry responsibility on stage, organisers point out that audiences also play an important role in shaping conversations during live shows. Kirubhakaran, founder of Uncalled Knacks, a community that hosts open mics, standup comedy, storytelling and music events, says that comedians are generally aware of the content they present.
It only takes a minute to stop someone, speak about consent and women’s safety and remind people of basic values. It takes the same amount of time to laugh and avoid accountability. In this case, Pranit More should have chosen the formerAkshara Chitty Babu, medical student, poet and open-mic host
“Every stand-up comedian knows what they are talking about. Some avoid adult content entirely, while others use it as part of their act. Today, many younger comedians are experimenting with more mature themes because they see audiences responding to them,” he says.
According to him, crowd-work has become a major part of modern stand-up comedy, making performances less predictable. “Usually, comedians spend the first few minutes interacting with the audience. They speak to couples, ask questions and build jokes around those conversations before moving into their prepared material. But once audience participation begins, you never know exactly where the conversation will go.”
That unpredictability, he says, makes responsibility a shared one. “Responsibility lies on both sides: the audience and the performer. People need to understand what is appropriate to say in a public setting and comedians need to decide how to respond,” he tells us.
At Uncalled Knacks, performers are often advised to be mindful of their material. “As producers, we tell comedians not to rely too heavily on adult content and to be careful with sensitive topics. We usually have rehearsals and know what their prepared content looks like. But crowd-work is different because the audience response cannot be scripted.”
When inappropriate comments arise, much depends on the comedian’s ability to react in the moment. “Many comedians immediately discourage such remarks. Some call it out directly, but in a humorous way. Others stop the conversation then and there. It depends on the performer’s presence of mind and how they choose to take the show forward,” he explains.
At the same time, Kirubhakaran believes that the rapid rise of stand-up comedy has led to a growing number of performers entering the scene. “Today, there are many people doing stand-up. Some have strong material and some are still developing their content. As the scene grows, conversations around responsibility, ethics and audience engagement become even more important,” concludes Kirubhakaran.