'What I told there was not totally true': Himanshu Jangra claims he made up parts of viral Rs 370 biryani joke, apologises again
The founder of Gurugram-based Starvik Design, Vivek Vishwakarma, has spoken publicly about the company's decision to terminate employee Himanshu Jangra following backlash over offensive remarks about women during comedian Pranit More's show.
The controversy erupted after a clip from Pranit More's show went viral online, where Himashu, who was present during the crowd work, shared how on a date he paid Rs 370 for chciken biryani and in return wanted sexual favours from the girl. He then shared that he went ahead to kiss her and also wanted to get more intimate.
The video went viral, and the internet went berserk with hateful comments.
Following the outrage, the Maharashtra Cyber Cell summoned both Jangra and More. While both later apologised and deactivated their social media accounts, criticism surrounding the incident has continued.
Himanshu Jangra says he 'improvised' viral story; says he didn't name any girl; Starvik Design founder explains firing
On Saturday, Pranit More reactivated his account and issued another apology, saying he would cooperate with authorities and the legal process. The same day, another video surfaced online in which Himanshu Jangra spoke about the controversy in a conversation shared by Starvik Design's official social media handle.
In the video, Himanshu Jangra said he had dated a girl in the past but had not named or identified any woman during the show. He claimed parts of the story were exaggerated and presented as a joke during a comedy performance.
Himanshu Jangra shares his side
Speaking about the fallout from the controversy, Himanshu said the backlash had affected both him and his family.
"Till a week ago, no one knew about it at home, no one in my hometown knew about it. But last Sunday, my uncle got to know about it. So, my uncle called me and asked what is going on, what kind of videos are coming to me.
He added, "So, I explained it to my uncle, and he said, why did you go to the show? So, he scolded me and explained it to me. But then I told him that it will be done in a few days, don't tell anyone. But then in the next 2 days, I didn't expect that I would get so much hate for this.
He went on to say, "So, this video went to nearby relatives and neighbors. So, the neighbors came to my house and told me that your son is talking like this in this video. This is a very shameful thing. My family got to know about it. So, my family called me home and they asked what is going on, why is this happening? So, I also said that I made a mistake. So, they scolded me and explained it to me. It was still fine up to this point, sir. My family was still not so tense. But when they came to know that I have been fired from my job, they got very tense.
"And now I have a case on me, I have also received a notice. So, now I am in a very bad condition, I am very tense. Now when I see my family, I feel very regretful that why did I go to that show," he said.
Explaining what happened during the show, Jangra said it was his first time attending such a comedy event and that he became influenced by the atmosphere and audience reaction.
"Actually, I had seen the episode of this show before. So, this was happening for the first time in Gurgaon. Mostly it happens in Mumbai, but it was happening for the first time in Gurgaon. So, I thought that let's attend once and see how it is. It was the first time in my life that I was watching a comedy show. So, I went there and told the story there. Now, sir, the girl I am talking about, yes, I dated a girl like this. We talked a lot, we had a very good bonding, we spent a lot of time. But sir, what I told there, it was not totally true."
On faking the joke and creating a made-up story and sharing it as a personal incident just to stay relevant
He said, "I mean, I improvised and told the story there. Because, sir, the people who were telling before me in the video, they have also told many such types of stories. I don't know, it was my bad luck that people triggered me mostly. agree because I used some wrong words there. I would like to apologise for that. But sir, what I told there, I told it only in the form of entertainment. I don't have any such intention, I don't have any such mentality. Sir, you know that I have worked with you. There are many female colleagues in our office. I have no complaints from them till date."
"So, sir, what happened there, the environment was such that people were taking that thing in an entertaining way. The host was also taking it in an entertaining way. Looking at his confidence, I got more boost. And it was my first time, so I didn't even know to what extent you have to speak, to what extent you don't have to speak. And now when I see him again, I feel regretful that why did I say such words," he said.
Jangra also addressed criticism over his social media activity following the controversy.
"Earlier many people were taking it in a funny way, mostly. But mostly girls were offended by it. They deserve it too because I made a lot of mistakes there. Not just girls, boys have also been affected. don't want society to be like this. I don't want this kind of mentality to float in our society. So, yes, it is very hurting for both genders. This is not correct for a society. Yes, I agree that I took it as an advantage in the beginning. Which was really a big mistake of mine. I should have taken action at that time. I should have admitted that yes, I made a mistake."
"But when I saw that people are really hating me a lot, I made an apology too. But people were hating that too. People were saying that this is not from your side. This is a show off. When I saw that the issue had increased a lot, I deactivated the ID. The other IDs that are being made, people are trying to get fame on my name. Those IDs are not mine at all. I am not active on social media at all for the last week. Whatever content they are putting on the IDs, I have no role in it. I would like to say that if people see any content like this from my ID, then you should report it. I have no intention of hurting anyone," he said.
Himasnhu Jangra also denied identifying any specific woman during the performance. He said he didn't name a girl.
"First of all, in the story I told there, I didn't mention any girl. I don't think that any girl would have felt that I have mentioned her because I didn't reveal any girl's ID there. I didn't mention any girl's name there. According to me, I was just telling a story there, which I improvised a little and told there by exaggerating," he said.
In his concluding remarks, Jangra said he regretted his comments and had learned from the incident.
"I just want to say that whatever happened to me, it was really very wrong. I regret it a lot. And I have also got a lesson that we should not say these things. It sends a very bad message to a society. Now, I will not put any Reels in the future which will send a bad message to the society. Or our future youth should get a bad message. I will always try to be a responsible man. I will try to improve my image as much as possible," he said.
In a separate written apology, Himanshu Jangra wrote, "I made a mistake, I accepted it, and I sincerely apologised for it. I understand that not everyone will be ready to forgive me, and I completely respect that. My intention is not to seek sympathy or to justify my actions, but simply to take responsibility and learn from this experience. I kindly ask that my apology be viewed in good faith and that I be allowed the opportunity to grow from my mistakes."
Why Starvik Design fired Himanshu
In an Instagram post, Vishwakarma said the company did not immediately act against Jangra and instead conducted an internal review before reaching a decision.
According to him, the company spoke with employees, consulted women team members and assessed the situation from multiple perspectives. The review found no workplace complaints against Jangra.
However, Vishwakarma said the controversy soon began affecting the business directly.
He claimed the company received thousands of negative comments, calls, emails and messages, while negative reviews were also posted online. He further stated that a potential client withdrew from discussions and existing clients raised concerns about the matter.
"The issue did not remain outside the workplace," Vishwakarma said, adding that the controversy had begun impacting the company's brand, work environment and business relationships.
Addressing the controversy, Vishwakarma said, "I came across the clips that have been circulating online. Let me be very clear, the statements shown in those clips are offensive. They are not something I agree with. They're not something our company stands for, and they certainly should not be influencing young minds."
At the same time, he said the company found no evidence of misconduct by Jangra within the workplace.
According to Vishwakarma, employees, including women colleagues, described the 23-year-old as "professional, respectful, hardworking and well-behaved" during his time at the company.
Despite that, he said the wider impact of the controversy could not be ignored and the company ultimately decided to terminate his employment.
Vishwakarma on accountability and second chances
While defending the company's decision, Vishwakarma also spoke about the importance of allowing people to learn from their mistakes.
"A person can be wrong. A person can make a terrible mistake. A person should face consequences. But I hope we never become a society that believes people cannot learn, reflect, apologise, or change."
He further added, "Social media trolling is not a joke,and that too for a 22-year-old mind. His future from here will already carry the consequences of this moment for a very long time. Again, that does not make a statement right. My hope is that Himanshu reflects on this chapter of his life. My hope is that he learns from it. And while we hold people accountable, let us also leave room for reflection, for growth and positive transformation. That is the kind of society we hope to build here."