AIB Knockout: Won’t allow movie releases till Arjun Kapoor, Ranveer Singh apologise, says MNS

Maharashtra Culture Minister Vinod Tawde says the government does not intend to do any “moral policing”

A screenshot of comedy collective All India Bakchod’s twitter page. AIB Knockout was a comic roast of actors Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar and organised by AIB. It went viral with over 4 million views in less than four days.

Jumping into the ongoing controversy over the comedy show featuring filmmaker Karan Johar and actors Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh for obscene language and content, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Tuesday demanded an unconditional apology from them.

“We will not let any film featuring the actors present at the AIB comedy show to be released in Mumbai, until they apologise for their actions,” said Ameya Khopkar, president, Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Sena, the film wing of the MNS,.

“What kind of message are we giving to the world outside? What if small children, who follow Ranveer and Arjun, watch this show? Will they not be spoiled after watching such shows?” he asked.

What is AIB Knockout? AIB Knockout was a comic roast of actors Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar and organised by the comedy collective All India Bakchod (AIB). It went viral with over four million views in less than four days. The organisers had said that the proceeds from the event, amounting to Rs. 40 lakh, were donated to charity projects. Comedy roasts By form, roasts around the world, are known to feature offensive insults as a form of subversion to celebrate the spirit of humour and the ability of the subjects to take a joke and laugh at themselves

Mr. Khopkar has said that his party does not wish to behave like censor and have no intention to curb freedom of expression. “But such shows will never be tolerated,” he added.

Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party MLA Jitendra Awhad and former executive president of the party’s Maharashtra unit, too had warned the State government asking it to stop AIB shows. “Stop #AIB show or else we will stop it taking law in our hand. Decency auctioned” he tweeted.

Stop >#AIB show or else we will stop it taking law in our hand.Decency auctioned >@Dev_Fadnavis>@abpmajhatv>@mataonline>@TimesNow>@ibnlive

— Dr.Jitendra Awhad (@Awhadspeaks) >February 2, 2015

PTI adds:

No moral policing on AIB Roast: Maharashtra

Earlier in the day, after announcing an inquiry into AIB roast, the Maharashtra Government said that it will only check if AIB had secured appropriate clearances.

Also, Maharashtra Culture Minister Vinod Tawde said the government does not intend to do any “moral policing”.

“On #AIBRoast, will only enquire if the AIB had taken appropriate certificate. No moral policing... if they are allowed by law, I can’t stop them,” Mr. Tawde tweeted.

On >#AIBRoast , will only enquire if the AIB had taken appropriate certificate. No moral policing if they r allowed by law, I can't stop them.

— Vinod Tawde (@TawdeVinod) >February 2, 2015

On Monday, Mr. Tawde had told reporters that “officials of the Culture Department will examine the (AIB show) videos for the content. If found vulgar, an action will be initiated.”

The Minister had announced the inquiry following a police probe into a complaint against the participants for allegedly using “filthy and abusive language” during the event called AIB Knockout, a comedy show, held in December 2014 at Worli. The videos of the show were uploaded on YouTube recently.

According to the written complaint by Akhilesh Tiwari, president of Brahman Ekta Seva Sanstha in Mumbai, filed at Sakinaka police station on Monday, Mr. Johar, Mr. Singh and Mr. Kapoor, along with other performers, had allegedly passed abusive and offensive remarks against one another and at the audience present there, police said.