Varun Grover Defends Comedians with Bold Statement: “Venue Ki Galti Nahi Hai, Time Ki Hai”

Varun Grover, a well-known stand-up comedian, lyricist, and filmmaker, recently addressed the growing number of controversies involving Indian comedians. His latest performance was all about the struggles comedians face, especially in the light of recent incidents involving Kunal Kamra and Munawar Faruqui.

Before starting his performance, Varun made sure to give a disclaimer to his audience. He said, "These are jokes, venue ki ismein koi galti nahi hain. Mera bhi nahi hai. Humare time ki hai. (It is not my fault or the venue’s fault, it is our time’s fault) If offended, break a clock." This joke was a reference to the Kunal Kamra controversy, which made headlines after Kamra was targeted for making a joke about Maharashtra’s Deputy CM, Eknath Shinde. This led to members of Shiv Sena vandalising the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai.

Varun Grover Talks About Comedian Safety in India

Varun also spoke about Munawar Faruqui, who was arrested in 2021 for making a joke that angered some people. Varun shared how comedians in India are not always safe. He said, “Comedian waise bhi… badi safe life nahi hain comedians ki. Koi bhi kahi bhi uthakr apko… Munawar Faruqui ko hi jail jana pada pata hoga apko. Ek joke kiya usne aur chala gaya. (Comedians are not safe here. Their life is in danger. You do one joke and they put you in jail. I am sure you must be aware of what happened with Munawar.)”

In a separate incident, Apoorva Makhija, who made headlines after appearing on the India’s Got Latent show, recently moved out of her Mumbai apartment. Apoorva had been part of the controversial episode with Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina.

She shared a short video on her Instagram Stories showing her turning off the lights of an empty living room. The video had the caption: “End of an era.” In the video, cardboard boxes, bottles, and cleaning materials were scattered around, suggesting that she was in the process of moving out. Though Apoorva didn’t directly explain why she was leaving, reports suggest that her decision might be connected to the controversy surrounding her.

Apoorva Makhija Apologizes for Controversial Comments

After the India’s Got Latent episode in January, Apoorva received a lot of criticism for her comments. As a result, she deleted all her Instagram posts. Last week, she made her return to Instagram and shared screenshots of the death and rape threats she and her family had been receiving since the episode aired.

Apoorva also shared a video on her YouTube channel, where she apologized for her comments. She explained that her statement came from a place of anger after a participant made an inappropriate comment about her body. “When I said that statement, it genuinely didn’t come from a place of trying to be funny, or to create a moment, or to appear savage–it came from anger and retaliation. My intention wasn’t to hurt anyone, except that guy’s ego,” Apoorva said in the video.