India’s stand-up comedy scene has witnessed significant growth in recent years, drawing in a vast and diverse audience.
While many enjoy these comedic performances in their leisure time, the industry is still marred with controversies. One such incident recently came to light when stand-up comedian Vidushi Swaroop faced backlash for her remarks on prostitution during a live performance that went viral.
In a video clip from one of her stand-up acts, Vidushi Swaroop called prostitution a “cool profession.” She spoke about the profession, highlighting what sets it apart from others. These comments quickly ignited outrage across the internet, with most calling them “insensitive.”
“Respect women always. This is no way to present women. Shameful act,” a person wrote on X. Another one echoed the same sentiments, “Unfortunately, some self-proclaimed stand-up comedians make comments that some find amusing, whether it’s related to religion or other sensitive topics. They often think they’re being funny, and the audience laughs along, considering it cool.”
Poet Kumar Vishwas expressed his disapproval on the social media platform, X, and wrote, “In fact, this is not only absurd but also inhuman and cruel. This insensitive joke is just a glimpse of today’s so-called stand-up presentations that constantly make fun of vulgar and cultural values. It is fortunate that no male presenter did this cheap thing; otherwise, all the commissions would have woken up. Shame on those who laughed.”
However, there were voices of support for Vidushi Swaroop as well. One user defended her by suggesting, “The purpose of comedy is to show the mirror to the society. You shocked us and made us laugh at the same time. Well done.”
“Addressing society issues with comedy, few can do it and you killed it,” wrote another.
In response to the mounting controversy, the stand-up comedian took to Instagram to address the situation. She posted Kumar Vishwas’s comment and said, “This video is taken from a full YouTube video, so it does not reflect the actual perspective of the clip. Therefore, I have a humble request to all of you: before making your decision, please evaluate the entire video once.”
