By Anil Merani: Comedian Apoorva Makhija, who became entangled in the “India Has Got Latent” controversy, has been vocal on X about various societal issues that she believes deserve more attention than the uproar caused by Ranveer Allahabadia’s sex with parents’ joke.
In light of her defiance, one might expect Apoorva to stand by her actions when faced with formal inquiries. However, when she, along with Ranveer Allahbadia and “India Has Got Latent” producer Samay Raina, appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW), all three opted to apologize and seek forgiveness.
Interestingly, Apoorva has not tweeted anything regarding her apology.
We had no insight into her defence before she decided to apologize.
Although her change of stance is quite apparent, Apoorva felt she had no choice but to concede, as continuing to fight could have repercussions for her career.
Even now, her work opportunities may have diminished as people hesitate to associate with those under scrutiny. Additionally, given that the main figure involved, Ranveer, has maintained his “I am sorry” stance from the beginning, it might be wise for them to hope the issue fades away soon.
Her tweets may attempt to regain some fans and project a brave front, but the apologies have been made nonetheless.
She has also been attacked for her riposte to a contestant’s barb on women’s private parts. Her defence is that why am I only hauled over the coals and not the guy who made the original slur? This argument does not fly, for she is part of a stand-up comedy format. Which thrive on risque content, and you can’t selectively cry foul.
I agree that comedy is about pushing boundaries, but it is essential to respect the cultural context. The incestuous joke about parents was inappropriate. Ideally, Apoorva should have taken a cue from Ranveer’s approach and accepted the situation.
Taking a hard stance and then folding makes her look weak.