Poonam Pandey fired back at Bigg Boss 19 co-contestant Pranit More over his viral ‘₹370 biryani’ controversy, saying, “Humare periods ke pad bhi ₹370 se mehenge hote hain, jo hum use karke phenk deti hain.” Pranit subsequently deactivated his Instagram and issued a formal apology, calling it a “lapse in judgement.”

Poonam Pandey has responded to the viral “Rs 370 biryani” controversy associated with Bigg Boss 19 co-contestant Pranit More’s live crowd-work show. In a social media statement, Poonam criticised the mindset that gave rise to the joke, underlining the significance of respecting women and recognising the boundaries of consent.

What is the ‘Rs 370 biryani’ controversy?

The controversy began at a live show by Pranit More, where an audience member joked about going on a date with a slightly older woman and sharing a Rs 370 plate of chicken biryani. He then quipped that he would need to “recover” the money, suggesting he expected something in return. Pranit laughed along, and when the clip went viral on social media, it sparked a massive backlash.

Poonam Pandey’s sharp clap back at the viral video

Reacting sharply to the viral video, Poonam did not hold back and fired back with a harsh response, saying, “Meine Rs. 370 biryani wali story suni.. Waah bhai.. Toh main baat batai hun.Hum aurato ko har mahine periods hote hai. Toh hum pds use karte hai, Humare periods ke pad bhi Rs.370 se mehenge hote hain, jo hum use karke phenk deti hain. ( “I heard that Rs. 370 biryani story… Wow, brother. So let me tell you something. We women get periods every month, so we use sanitary pads. Our period pads cost more than Rs370, and after using them, we throw them away.)”

Pranit More breaks his silence, issues a formal apology

As the backlash boosted, Pranit took the step of deactivating his Instagram account before breaking his silence with a formal statement. Acknowledging his mistake and distancing himself from the remark, he stated, “I’ve seen the criticism regarding a recent crowdwork clip. The comments made by the audience member do not reflect my views. Looking back, I should have challenged the remark instead of laughing and moving on. That was a lapse in judgement on my part.”“I appreciate everyone who raised their concerns respectfully. I sincerely apologise for whatever happened, and I’ll take this lesson forward. I’m human, and like anyone else, I’m constantly learning,” he concluded.