The dust around the AIB Knockout Roast of actors Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor shows no sign of settling. The three-part roast has been removed from YouTube after the Maharashtra government said it would investigate the show for obscenity. In a statement crafted with wit, AIB explains that they took the video off not because of 'a 3 am phone call or a morcha at our front door or a gunman on a grassy knoll' but because people who had supported the group had been 'put in a position where things could get deeply unpleasant for them'.
On February 3, three celebrities directly or indirectly involved in the almost-90 minute-long skewering of the Gunday actors responded on Twitter after criticism from certain quarters of the language and content employed in the show.
Filmmaker Karan Johar, who served as 'Roastmaster' and was subjected to many jokes about his sexuality, tweeted:
(Also read: AIB Knockout Roast of Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor Divides Twitter)
Filmmaker Karan Johar, who served as 'Roastmaster' and was subjected to many jokes about his sexuality, tweeted:
Not your cup of tea...don't drink it!!!
- Karan Johar (@karanjohar) February 3, 2015Actresses Sonakshi Sinha and Alia Bhatt, who found themselves picked on during the show despite the fact that they weren't the ones being 'roasted,' tweeted:
So nice to see twitter is filled with such angels who point out hypocrisy n never use foul language n have nvr laughed at dirty jokes (haw)
- Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) February 3, 2015Some "not taking life so seriously" lessons are needed. DESPERATELY!!!!
- Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) February 3, 2015Sonakshi and Alia were both in the front row of the roast which was filmed in a Mumbai stadium last December. Sonakshi was subjected to jokes about her supposed romance with Arjun Kapoor and her body shape, Alia was repeatedly hauled over the coals for her by now well-known lack of general knowledge. After the recording, Alia had tweeted:
#AIBKnockout !!!!!!! What an unreal roast .. Clap clap clap @karanjohar arjunk26 @RanveerOfficial @AllIndiaBakchod outstanding !!!!!
- Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) December 20, 2014Actress Deepika Padukone, who was made a target for her relationships with both Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor, also tweeted in December:
The #AIBKnockout is the coolest funniest show I have EVER witnessed!@AllIndiaBakchod @arjunk26 @karanjohar @RajeevMasand
- Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) December 20, 2014Many others from Bollywood also praised the roast on Twitter, including Ranveer's ex-girlfriend Anushka Sharma, actors Rajkummar Rao, Huma Qureshi, Arjun Rampal and Arshad Warsi, and former actress Twinkle Khanna.
Among those who have taken offence at the roast is Ashoke Pandit, a member of the Censor Board, who has been pilloried on Twitter for an offensive post mentioning Karan Johar and his mother.
Online chatter was divided in opinion over whether the roast was overly rude or plain funny, with for and against trends on Twitter - 'We Stand By AIB Knockout' and 'AIB National Shame.' The hashtag #AIBRoast has been trending ever since an edited version of the show was released on YouTube on January 28. The roast has been viewed many million times since.
AIB is a comedy collective of Tanmay Bhat, Ashish Shakya, Rohan Joshi and Gursimran Khamba. The roast panel also included stand-up comics Aditi Mittal and Abish Mathew, film critic Rajeev Masand and former Roadies judge Raghu Ram. The show raised about Rs 40 lakhs which is being donated to various charities, including Salman Khan's Being Human.
