Maharashtra government, police probe 'objectionable' show

Mumbai, Feb 2
The Maharashtra government and Mumbai police have initiated separate investigations into allegations of "abusive and filthy" language used by Bollywood director Karan Johar and actors Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh at an event in Mumbai in December.

Following complaints about the below-the-belt contents of the "AIB Roast" programme viewed by a 4,000-strong live audience in a city stadium, Education and Culture Minister Vinod Tawde ordered a probe.

"The culture department shall examine the videos' content and if found vulgar, action would be initiated," Tawde said here Monday evening.

"Initial investigation indicates that the show performed without a proper performance licence. We will register an FIR against them. Such vulgarity is a crime and based on facts which will emerge, the government will file a case against them," Tawde assured.

In a parallel development, Brahman Ekta Seva Sansth president Akhilesh Tiwari lodged a police complaint expressing umbrage at the programme hosts, who he said used abusive, offensive remarks loaded with sexual overtones during the comedy show.

In his detailed four-page complaint, Tiwari demanded action not only against Johar, Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh but also the show organisers and others.

Clips of the videos, which leaked out, were uploaded and went viral on various social networking sites and YouTube.

Tiwari contended that the language used in the show was extremely abusive and ruined the fair image of Indian women and culture and also misguided today's youngsters.

The videos showed the crowds, which included several leading female Bollywood actors like Sonakshi Sinha, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt, besides a fair number of women audience enjoying, cheering, whistling and clapping at the offensives blatantly mouthed by the host trio.