Gurugram man fired after controversial '₹370 ki biryani' remark on standup show Pranit More

A 22-year-old man whose comments during a stand-up comedy show drew criticism online has been fired by his employer after days of backlash on social media.

Controversy erupted after clips from comedian Pranit More’s show went viral on Instagram. The videos featured audience member Himanshu Jangra making remarks about women that many social media users found offensive and entitled.

The phrase ” ₹370 ki biryani’ quickly became an online topic after Jangra recounted an interaction with the woman. During the exchange, he suggested that because he had paid ₹370 for a chicken biryani meal, expected something in return.

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According to the viral clip, Jangra said that after sharing food with the woman, she asked him to drop her home, which surprised him. Explaining his reaction, he said, “Maine kaha ki ₹370 lage hain use k wasool do karunga hi.”

The remark drew criticism from both men and women online, with many accusing him of treating relationships as transactions and implying a claim to physical intimacy. As criticism mounted, Jangra apologized and deactivated his social media account.

The employer announces the termination

Following the controversy, Gurugram-based Starvik Design announced that it had terminated Jangra’s employment.

Founder Vivek Vishwakarma addressed the issue in a video shared on Instagram, saying that the company has received many messages, emails and calls regarding the viral clips.

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“In the last 24 hours, I have received hundreds of messages, emails and calls regarding one of our employees, Himanshu Jangra. Like many of you, I have also come across the clips that have been circulating online. Let me be very clear, the statements made in these clips are offensive. I do not agree with them. It is not something that our company stands for and should certainly not be influencing young minds.”

Internal review performed

Vishwakarma said the company had reviewed the matter internally and had spoken to employees, including women, to understand if there were any workplace concerns about Jangra.

“We looked into this matter internally. We spoke to our team, including female employees. We reviewed his behavior in the workplace and asked difficult questions. Interestingly, however, we did not find a single complaint against him from our team. The team described him as professional, respectful, hardworking and well behaved at work.”

Nevertheless, the company decided to terminate the connection with him.

“But what happened outside the workplace has now affected the workplace and I have a responsibility to the company, our team, our clients and the environment we create here. That is why we have decided to part ways with Himanshu,” he added.

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A call to responsibility and growth

Announcing the decision, Vishwakarma also appealed for a balanced approach, saying people should be held accountable for their actions but should also have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

“A person can be wrong. A person can make a terrible mistake. A person should suffer the consequences. But I hope we never become a society that believes that people can’t learn, reflect, apologize or change. Trolling on social media is not a joke, and it’s not a joke to a 22-year-old mind. His future from here on will bear the consequences of this moment for a very long time,” he said.

He concluded, “Again, this is not right. I hope Himanshu reflects on this chapter of his life. I hope he learns from it. And while we hold people accountable, let’s also leave room for reflection, for growth and positive transformation. That’s the kind of society we hope to build here.”

Social media remains divided

While many users welcomed the company’s decision, several disagreed with Vishwakarma’s call for reflection and forgiveness.

“Defending him like this is even worse. He faced consequences for his actions, leave it alone,” one user wrote.

Another commented: “How can female employees at your company still defend him? How can anyone at your company still defend him? Is everyone of the same mindset?”

“You wouldn’t have fired him if it wasn’t for the pressure on social media. You justified his actions at the end of your message. God save the people in your company who find such actions and jokes normal,” wrote another user.

Others have argued that behavior outside the workplace can reveal aspects of a person’s character that may not appear in a professional setting, keeping the debate alive long after the original video went viral.