Comedian Utsav Chakraborty accused of sexually harassing minor girls, AIB makes statement

Comedian Utsav Chakraborty has been accused of sending sexually explicit messages to women, including minors. AIB, Aditi Mittal, Varun Grover, Kaneez Surka condemn behaviour.

tv Updated: Oct 04, 2018 17:57 IST
Utsav Chakraborty has appeared on several AIB videos, which have been taken down.

Comedian and YouTuber Utsav Chakraborty has been accused of sending sexually explicit messages to women, including minor girls. In a Twitter thread, a writer-comedian shared several accounts of women who claimed to have received unsolicited explicit photographs from Utsav, known to have also taken part in sketches by comedy group AIB.

“I want everyone to know @Wootsaw is a piece of sh*t. He sent me a d**k pic, was creepy, then cried saying I’ll ruin his career if I tell others,” she wrote on Twitter. She continued that she had “told two of the most influential men in comedy in India” about the incident, but “nothing happened.”

“Let me tell you what else he has done with others,” she wrote, and shared several screenshots of women claiming to have been harassed by Utsav.

The writer-comedian began her Twitter thread after noticing one of Utsav’s tweets in which he had commented on a case of harassment. “Saw this on my timeline, interesting for you to comment on how Indian men harass women. Irony is still alive and thriving. Did they send unsolicited d**k picks or that’s safely only your territory? Or like cry after saying you’ll ruin their career if you tell others? Or will they also blame that on the girls? The harassment they got that is. Hey Utsav. How many girls have you harassed you vile man. These messages for a young girl I know,” she wrote.

Utsav has denied the accusations on Twitter. “Literally everyone I know has turned against me, and I don’t blame them for that,” he wrote. “But the whole thing is far more complicated than it appears” and “needs an incredible amount of context,” he wrote.

AIB in a Twitter statement said that they had been following the allegations closely and condemn Utsav’s alleged behaviour. The admitted that ‘by extending a safe working spaces and collaborative environment’ they had contributed to a creating a toxic work environment for women. AIB offered an apology for having played a part in the story and said that they were removing all videos featuring Utsav, pending an investigation.

Several comedians such as Varun Grover, Aditi Mittal and Kaneez Surka have commented on the matter on Twitter. Mincing no words, Aditi wrote, “What’s up with this Utsav? Your behaviour has been consistently misogynist for a while and you keep pretending to be woke like your boyfriends at AIB who keep you employed as well. Women don’t feel safe around you. What are you doing about this?”

Kaneez wrote, “What the actual f**k @Wootsaw? What makes people think you will get away with this behaviour? But more importantly why do you people continue to behave this way?”

Varun, calling for a Time’s Up movement in Indian comedy, wrote, “Shameful, creepy, ugly behavior by a fellow comic (Utsav/@Wootsaw). More stories coming out, all because @AGirlOfHerWords decided to speak out. Indian Comedy, like every other industry, needs a #TimesUp.”

Previously, the founder of TVF, Arunabh Kumar, stepped out down from his position after similar allegations were made against him.

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First Published: Oct 04, 2018 17:50 IST