Ashoke Pandit: Many filmmakers agree with me on condemning AIB show

The All India Bakchod (AIB) Roast of Karan Johar, Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh has obviously not gone down well with filmmaker Ashoke Pandit.

After being slammed for his distasteful tweet on Karan Johar and his mother, Pandit, who has been appointed in the revamped Censor Board, tries to justify himself.

“All staged performances, plays or stand-up comedies in Mumbai have to get permission from the Maharashtra police. They also have to submit their request for permission to the cultural ministry. The AIB has done none of these. They got no bloody clearance to have the show,” states Pandit angrily.

Pandit says he has no problem with the content of the show being uploaded on YouTube.

“We cannot censor YouTube. It exercises self-censorship, and that’s good enough. Also, excellent films by young experimental filmmakers are being uploaded on YouTube. To censor YouTube would be doing a disservice to all the talented filmmakers who put their films on the Internet," he says.

Pandit’s problem is with the live performance by AIB which has sparked off a heated debate. “Where are the clearances to hold a show like this? It was nothing but staged masturbation. If they have performed this vulgar show without the required permission, they are in serious trouble.”

On Tuesday, Pandit was severely condemned on Twitter for tweeting crudely against Karan Johar and his mother.

Explaining his outrage, Pandit states, “Karan Johar is a filmmaker I respect immensely. To watch him talking on stage about the position in which he enjoys sex was a slap in the face.

"He is the director of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, a film that made him a youth icon. To watch this man, who has inspired so many young people, making obscene comments on stage, talking about how he gets aroused, talking with young actors about the positions he enjoys having sex, was very shocking. Karan Johar lost all respect that evening not just for me but for millions who look up to him."

"We talk about the violence against women and their protection. And there they were insulting women by talking about rape in a frivolous context. What kind of a message are you sending out to the people who are watching this?” he asks.

Pandit (left) was upset with Deepika Padukone, a member of the audience, as well.

"She took great objection to a vulgar photograph of hers in a newspapers. And there she was, laughing loudly at vulgar sexist remarks directed at her!" he exclaims.

"Karan Johar’s films talk about karwa chauth and pooja ki thaali and then he makes crass remarks about respected senior actresses like Reema Lagooji and Farida Jalalji," he continues.

About the reaction to his crude tweet, Pandit says, "Let them say what they want. In their hearts, they know what the AIB and Karan Johar have done is wrong. So many filmmakers have called me to say they agree with me but no one has the guts to condemn the crass show publicly. Just because it is Karan Johar? Just goes to prove this is a spineless industry.”