AIB Knockout: Producers pull down videos after government warns of inquiry

Mumbai: After all the controversy surrounding the ‘AIB Knockout’ video, the YouTube sensation has taken down all three videos of the show for the time being. The official handle of AIB tweeted, “Have taken down AIB Kockout for now. We will speak soon.”

For the first time in the history of Indian Entertainment, netizens saw celebrities taking a dig at each other all in the name of charity. The event took place last year in December in front of an audience of almost 4000. The edited footage from the video was then posted online a week ago.

Also read: Censor board member kicks up row over 'AIB roast' remark

Although AIB had most of us in bawling in laughter, there were a few who begged to differ and called out the channel for their offensive humour. This was followed by Akilesh Tiwari, the president of Brahman Ekta Seva lodging a complain in Mumbai alleging that Karan Johar, Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor passed abusive and offensive remarks against one another and at the audience present at the venue.

Maharashtra Culture Minister Vinod Tawade told reporters that officials of the Culture Department will examine the videos for the content and if found vulgar an action will be initiated.

After the inquiry on the show was announced the Maharashtra Government said it will only check if AIB had secured appropriate clearances for the live show.

According to reports, the team had the required permissions on the night of the event, but they could face prosecution if the content examined is found obscene or hurts religious sentiments, or causes any sort of disharmony.

On Tuesday, Censor Board member and filmmaker Ashok Pandit, dubbed the comedy show as performing a "porn show on stage" and made some uncharitable remarks against Johar, a noted Producer-Director, who was the 'roast-master' at the event. In a series of tweets, he also said he supported the inquiry by the Maharashtra government. An unfazed Johar took to Twitter to take on Pandit saying, "Not your cup of tea...don't drink it!!!"

Pandit later defended his tweets against Johar, saying he was only reacting to the way in which the filmmaker and the other brilliant actors used such kind of language which should not be spoken at a public show. "They can't use the language in public that is not decent in any form," he said, adding, "the entire show was abnormal". "I have reacted because I am a Karan Johar fan, Ranveer Singh fan, Arjun Kapoor man....I have very right to do that. And if they feel about my tweet if they are hurt about my tweet, they can consider it as an extension of their roast," he said in Jaipur.