Pranit More, Samay Raina to Munawar Faruqui, Kunal Kamra, Tanmay Bhat: When comedy came at the cost of an FIR

THe amerind comedy shot has suit quite an a risky blank with jokes being scrutinised on their impact in the larger picture. As Pranit More became the latest comedian to face legal trouble, here are some past instances when comedians had a brush with the lawPranit More Pranit More came under fire for two recent crowd work clips he released from his shows. In one clip, a man named Himanshu Jangra narrated a story of a date where he paid a bill of ‘ ₹370 biryani’ and said ‘ye to main wasool karunga’ when his date asked him to drop her home. The internet called out the misogyny, sexism and lack of respect for consent in the comment. Another audience member Dr Sejal Pawar made comments over comparing ‘sizes’ of dead bodies and faced criticism. Following the uproar, the Maharashtra Cyber Police registered an FIR against Pranit, Himanshu and Sejal, over their obscene and derogatory remarks.Samay Raina Samay Raina’s show on YouTube India’s Got Latent became a massive success on its release due to its innovative concept and unfiltered banter between the contestants and the jury panel. However, in one episode last year, podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia made a joke which became a national issue inviting multiple FIRs against him and Samay across the country. The situation led to Samay removing all episodes of the show from his channel and the two of them issuing public apologies. However, the comedian is set to return with a season two of the show now.Kunal Kamra Kunal Kamra is no stranger to being in the spotlight for his controversial opinions, especially on the government. In March 2025, he released a special where he mocked Maharashtra political situation and called an unnamed individual a "gaddar", which was widely interpreted as a jibe at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Following it, Shiv Sena MLA Murji Patel, filed an FIR accusing Kunal of making defamatory and disrespectful remarks against the Shinde. The venue of the show, The Habitat Studio in Khar was also vandalised after the incident.Munawar Faruqui Munawar Faruqui has been subjected to multiple FIRs against him, but the most infamous incident that happened with him was in January 2021 when he was arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police. He was booked for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Hindu deities and for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. The comedian spent over a month in judicial custody as a result of that.Tanmay Bhat Tanmay Bhat was involved in one of the first controversial incidents in Indian comedy, as part of the comedy group All India Bakchod. Their roast of actors Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor, while popular, gained widespread criticism for the profane language used in the show, inviting multiple complaints, and eventually leading for the disbanding of their group. Individually too, Tanmay had had multiple FIRs filed against him, including one in 2017 over a meme he made on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Under the scrutinyWhile there has been no official complaints filed against them, but comedians Madhur Virli and Aishwarya Mohanraj have also come under internet scrutiny for their jokes in the past. Madhur had made a joke on rape in his 2024 stand up special, and after facing backlash for it online, he recently issued a public apology. Whereas in an old clip of her set, Aishwarya is seen making a joke on male genital mutilation and it has drawn criticism for its insensitivity.