MBBS student Sejal Pawar’s comment about comparing the sizes of male cadavers’ genitalia at comedian Pranit More’s show has understandably provoked outrage. Pawar’s crass admission crossed a line, particularly coming from someone training to enter the medical profession.
Medical education is built not only on scientific competence but also on professional ethics. There is an expectation of empathy toward the dead. Any form of mockery, ridicule, or unnecessary commentary undermines a tradition of dignity that lies at the heart of medical training.That said, the discourse around Pranit More’s show deserves a closer examination.
Pawar’s video from More’s standup show emerged right after a Gurugram man, Himanshi Jhangra—who is now famous as Rs 350 biryani guy—faced backlash for his objectionable comments. Pawar’s clip began circulating on social media only after Jhangra was fired from his job after a social media firestorm over his remarks. Neither statement should be defended. Both inappropriate and warranted criticism. In fact, it was a big failure on Pranit More’s part. Instead of calling them out, he laughed along. However, just because both comments were problematic does not mean they were the same. Comparing Pawar and Jhangra’s statements is like comparing apples and oranges.
