After the ₹370 biryani controversy, comedian Pranit More’s show sparks fresh outrage over female doctor Sejal Pawar’s jokes on male cadavers

Another controversy has emerged around comedian Pranit More’s stand-up show after a woman doctor’s comments about male cadavers during an audience interaction went viral online. The incident comes shortly after an audience member, Himanshu Jangra from Gurugram, faced massive backlash over a crass story about a plate of biryani worth ₹370 during the same comedy show.

The woman at the centre of the latest row has been identified as Sejal Pawar, who, according to her Instagram bio before making her account private, is associated with Mumbai’s KEM Hospital.

Viral comment sparks outrage

The controversy began during a conversation between Pranit More and Pawar at a live show. While discussing medical education and autopsies, More asked whether doctors remain serious while working on dead bodies or if they joke around during the process.

Responding to the question, Pawar spoke about anatomy-related experiences involving cadavers and mentioned that she and her colleagues would compare the sizes of the private parts of male cadavers. A video clip of the interaction quickly spread across social media, triggering widespread criticism.

Many people described the remarks as insensitive and disrespectful, especially towards individuals who donate their bodies for medical education and research. While stand-up comedy shows often involve candid audience participation, critics argued that making jokes about deceased individuals crossed an ethical line.

Medical community reacts

The comments drew strong reactions from medical students, doctors and social media users. Many pointed out that cadavers play a crucial role in medical training and deserve respect.

One user wrote, “As a medical student, mocking a cadaver is one of the worst things you can do.”

Others stressed that body donation is a selfless contribution made by individuals and families to help future doctors learn, and comments like these could discourage people from making such donations in the future.

As the controversy grew, many social media users began comparing the incident with the recent case of Himanshu Jangra, whose remarks about expecting a “return” after paying for a meal on a date sparked a national debate and eventually led to him losing his job. Some users questioned whether similar standards of accountability would be applied in this case as well, arguing that public scrutiny should remain consistent regardless of gender.

Apology issued, comedian faces backlash

Following the criticism, Pawar posted an apology on Instagram. In her statement, she wrote, “I’m not here to justify what was said or explain it away. I take responsibility for it. Looking back, I can see how my words could be interpreted differently from what I meant!” However, she also made her Instagram account private shortly after sharing the apology.

Meanwhile, comedian Pranit More continues to face criticism over the viral audience interactions from his shows. Amid the growing controversy, he has also deactivated his Instagram account.