They're just jokes: Team AIB opens up
Feb 04,2015
Mumbai, Feb 4 (IANS) The team of All India Bakchod (AIB) -- a group of standup comedians under attack by the Maharashtra government for its controversial video featuring offensive language used by Bollywood personalities in it -- has broken its silence over the issue, and said "they're just jokes".
A three-part edited version of the 'Roast', titled AIB Knockout -- a December 2014 charity comic event where actors Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor were poked fun at -- were posted on online video-sharing platform YouTube Jan 28. But the clips were pulled down Tuesday, after the Maharashtra government initiated a probe into the below-the-belt content of the programme.
In an 720-word open letter posted on Twitter Wednesday, the AIB team -- Gursimran Khamba, Tanmay Bhat, Rohan Joshi and Ashish Shakya -- via its @AllIndiaBakchod handle, said: "Dear everyone, Let's just all take a deep breath. They're just jokes. Unfunny, crass or whatever you want to call them, they're still just jokes."
The AIB team has explained that "no one person or force forced us to take this video down...under the circumstances, this is us being pragmatic."
Explaining what they do, they wrote: "People who've been following our work will know that we've always tried to experiment with content, be it on Youtube or a live comedy show, with the sole intent of making people laugh and/or think."
"AIB Knockout was another such attempt to try something new and bring the roast format to a country where celebrities aren't often known to laugh at themselves."
"To our pleasant surprise, we managed to bring together consenting adults who were willing to be made fun of by other consenting adults in a crowd full of (wait for it) consenting adults. And if we're honest, it was a phenomenally entertaining evening."
While filmmaker Karan Johar was the 'Roast Master', Arjun and Ranveer were sporting enough to be the 'Roastees'. In the audience were popular Bollywood celebrities like Sonakshi Sinha, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt, who were seen laughing away -- much like the audience at the event.
The jokes, the AIB team has said, "happened in the spirit of irony and good humour".
"It was just liberating to be able to say those things, things that people have thought in one form or another privately for years. A lot of the laughter that night came from that spirit (there's your answer, people who wondered why everyone was laughing at terrible jokes).
"The video came with a clear disclaimer with several age and content warnings. No one was forced to watch it, we didn't buy airtime on every single TV channel on earth to broadcast it. YouTube videos do not magically auto-play in front of you. And yet the videos got over 8 million views," the letter read further.
The AIB Knockout was based on a format "same as any international roast i.e. insult comedy, delivered in the form of one-liners designed to be as rude as possible".
Attempting to provide "context", they said: "It is performed with the understanding that none of the material is to be taken seriously -- none of the performers actually mean the 'offensive' things they say to each other on the night."
The idea, they have said, was to "push the envelope of comedy in this country" in "our own juvenile, idiotic way".
"But then the envelope pushed back. Things got to a point where people who have supported us, people who work hard to make what we do come to life, were put in a position where things could get deeply unpleasant for them. And that's a problem."
"We can live with abuse, hate, anger, fury, rage, ignorance, bigotry and perhaps even bullying. But we don't want anybody to get hurt because of us. And we do mean anybody," they added.
Once the videos went viral, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on Tuesday demanded an apology from all the persons involved in the AIB Roast, and said that it would not allow Johar, Arjun and Ranveer's movies to be screened if they do not apologise.
AIB's message "to everyone railing against us and against the stars that were present, to everyone who's decided we're destroying the fabric of our culture, to everyone who's called us seditious pornographers while plotting the downfall of Indian Values and Civilisation As We Know It", is: "We would like to reiterate that we are just a bunch of comedians who work, and have always worked, without any malicious intent whatsoever".
Top Stories
Salman Khan Recalls Jail Days on Bigg Boss: '70 People Shared One Bathroom,' Emotional Story Goes Viral
Aug 03,2026
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan made a special appearance on the reality show 'Alliance', currently streaming on Prime Video, to support his brother Sohail Khan. During an interaction with contestants, Salman reflected on his past jail experiences, sharing details about the harsh
Bhumi Pednekar: Trolled over her reaction in support of PM Modi; users said, "You should stop thinking..."
Aug 03,2026
Bollywood actress Bhumi Pednekar has found herself at the center of a social media controversy after sharing a video criticizing the use of abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a recent protest. While some users supported her appeal for respectful public discourse,
Kangana Ranaut Shares Childhood Photo as Sita Amid CJP Row, Says 'Blessings to Liberals'
Jul 31,2026
Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has once again grabbed headlines after sharing childhood photographs of herself dressed as Goddess Sita on social media. The post comes amid her ongoing verbal exchanges surrounding the CJP controversy, with Kangana writing a brief but pointed caption: "My
'Jan Nayagan' Movie Review: Vijay's Final Film Is Overshadowed by Politics, 3-Hour Runtime Tests Patience
Jul 23,2026
Vijay's much-awaited farewell film, Jan Nayagan, arrives with massive expectations, marking the superstar's final appearance on the big screen before his full-time political journey. While fans hoped for an unforgettable send-off, director H. Vinoth delivers a film where political messag
Jantar Mantar Protest: From R. Madhavan to Alia Bhatt, Celebrities Rally Behind Students; Here's What They Said
Jul 23,2026
The nationwide outrage over the alleged NEET paper leak has intensified, with thousands of students staging protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar and demonstrations spreading across Mumbai and several other cities. Protesters are demanding a transparent investigation into the examination cont
Vijay's 'Jana Nayagan' Creates Box Office Storm: Two Major Tamil Films Postponed as Fans Celebrate Thalapathy's Final Movie
Jul 16,2026
The excitement surrounding Thalapathy Vijay's highly anticipated film 'Jana Nayagan' has reached unprecedented levels ahead of its July 23, 2026 release. Widely believed to be Vijay's final film before entering full-time politics, the movie has prompted two Tamil filmmakers to postpone
Salman Khan’s New House Approved: Is He Finally Leaving Galaxy Apartments After 52 Years?
Jun 30,2026
Rumours about Salman Khan leaving his iconic Galaxy Apartments residence have been making headlines after reports claimed the Bollywood superstar was preparing to move into a new luxury home in Bandra. However, the reality is quite different. While the Khan family's sea-facing Bandra prop
Security Breach Involving Arbaaz Khan: Intruder Jumps Into Actor’s Car, Removed by Bouncer
Jun 17,2026
Actor Arbaaz Khan recently found himself at the center of a security scare during a public event in Kolkata. A video from the incident has gone viral on social media, showing an unidentified man allegedly forcing his way into the actor's car as he was leaving the venue.The unexpected inci
Entertainment News
Salman Khan’s New House Appr
Jun 30,2026
Security Breach Involving Arba
Jun 17,2026
‘Happy Birthday to the Queen
Jun 17,2026
Kangana Ranaut Breaks Silence
Jun 12,2026
Anupam Kher Scolds David Dhawa
Jun 04,2026