Himanshu Jangra, who is facing flak over his remarks in a crowd-work video from comedian Pranit More's show, said that parts of the dating story he narrated were "improvised" for entertainment purpose. He also expressed regret for taking part in the show as an audience member.

Mr. Jangra, who was subsequently fired from his job at a Gurugram-based company, apologised for his remarks and spoke at length about the controversy in a video released on Saturday (June 13, 2026). It was a recorded interaction between Mr. Jangra and another person, which was shared on his and the company's Instagram account.

The apology comes after Maharashtra Cybercrime police on Thursday (June 11, 2026) registered an FIR against Mr. Jangra, Mr. More and others concerning the objectionable content circulated on social media. 

"Maine jo waha pe story batayi, usmein jo ladki ki baat kar raha hoon main... haan maine ek ladki ko date kiya tha... but sir jo maine waha pe bataya woh totally true nahi tha. Wo ek improvise karke story batayi thi maine waha par. (The story I told there — the girl I was talking about... yes, I did date a girl. But sir, what I said there was not completely true. I improvised that story and told it there)," he said.

Mr. Jangra said he had attended the show after watching previous episodes and that audience members often shared similar anecdotes with dark humour. "Mai maanta hoon ki maine kuch galat words use kiye the. Mai is ke liye sorry maangna chahunga. Wo maine jo bataya tha wo sirf ek entertainment way me bataya tha. Mera koi bhi aisa intention ya mentality nahi hai" (I admit that I used some inappropriate words. I would like to apologise for that. What I said was only meant to be presented in an entertaining way. I did not have any such intention or mindset),” he added.

Speaking about the impact of the controversy, Mr. Jangra said the online backlash reached his hometown and even affected his family. "Sir, abhi dekha jaaye to meri condition bohot worse hai. Pichle do hafton se bohot zyada troll ho raha hoon Instagram pe. Ek hafte tak to ghar pe kisi ko pata nahi tha. Mere home town mein kisi ko nahi pata tha,"(Sir, if you look at my situation right now, it is very bad. For the past two weeks, I have been heavily trolled. For about a week, no one at home knew about it. Nobody in my hometown knew about it either),” he said.

According to Mr. Jangra, his family initially learned about the controversy through relatives and neighbours. He said his parents later called him home and questioned him about the incident. “My family called me back home and asked me what was going on. I told them that I had made a mistake, and they scolded me and tried to explain things to me. Even up to that point, things were still manageable. But when they found out that I had been fired from my job, they became very worried. Now, whenever I look at my family, I feel a lot of regret and keep wondering why I ever went on that show,” he said in Hindi.

Mr. Jangra maintained that his public statement and caption were not intended to seek sympathy but to take responsibility for his actions and learn from the experience.

In the caption accompanying the video, the company stated: "We believe that every situation deserves context, conversation, and clarity. As requested by many members of our community, we invited Himanshu Jangra to share his perspective and address the questions surrounding the ongoing discussion. This conversation does not represent an endorsement of any statement, action, or viewpoint. It is simply an opportunity to hear directly from the individual involved. We encourage everyone to watch with an open mind, remain respectful, and avoid harassment of any individual."

Comedian More also issued an apology video statement earlier. “Many of you have likely seen the crowd-work clip that’s been circulating, and it’s brought a lot of criticism and hate my way. Looking back, I understand why people are upset, and I genuinely feel that some of that criticism is warranted. I take responsibility for my actions and want to address the concerns that have been raised,” he said.

Meanwhile, the same show had invited backlash earlier after a medical student, Sejal Pawar, allegedly made derogatory remarks regarding medical cadavers and deceased male bodies used for educational purposes. Following the controversy, Mumbai’s civic-run KEM Hospital termed the comments as ‘unacceptable’, and formed a two-member committee to probe the matter.

The offence has been registered at the Nodal Cyber Police Station, Maharashtra Cyber under section 75(1)(iv), 75(3), 294, 353(2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and 67 Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, against stand-up comedian Pranit More, Himanshu Jangra, Dr. Sejal Pawar, and other persons found involved, in connection with the publication and dissemination of allegedly obscene and objectionable content through online platforms and social media, as per the police. 

With ANI, PTI inputs