New Delhi: Himanshu Jangra, a web developer who went viral for saying he expected a woman to “repay” him with physical intimacy after he spent Rs 370 on chicken biryani for her, has been fired by Gurugram-based social media and branding firm Starvik Design.
The company’s founder Vivek Vishwakarma said in an Instagram video that he had received hundreds of messages, emails, and calls over the past 24 hours about Jangra.
“What happened outside the workplace has now affected the workplace and I have the responsibility towards the company, our team, our clients, and the environment we create here. That’s why we have decided to part ways with Himanshu,” he said.
Jangra was in the audience at a Pranit More show when, during an interaction with the comedian, he spoke about taking a woman out for a meal and expecting something in return.
He said that after paying for the meal, he was surprised when the woman simply asked him to drop her home. In his view, spending Rs 370 entitled him to a “return” on that investment, alluding to physical intimacy.
“Maine kaha ki Rs 370 lage hain to use to wasool to karunga hi (I said, I’ve spent Rs 370, so I’ll get my money’s worth),” he said.
After the video went viral, the backlash intensified. Jangra apologised and deactivated his account. But the matter didn’t cool down, leading to his termination.
“Like many of you, I also came across the clips that have been circulating online,” said Vishwakarma in his Instagram video. Let me be very clear, the statements shown in those clips are offensive. They are not something I agree with. They are not something our company stands for and they certainly should not be influencing young minds.
Vishwakarma, however, added a few caveats, some of which did not go down well.
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Room for redemption?
Vishwakarma also defended Jangra’s conduct at work and urged people to leave room for reflection and change.
He said he had spoken with team members, including women employees, and they had no complaints about Jangra.
“The team described him as professional, respectful, hardworking, and well-behaved at work,” he added.
Vishwakarma also said that while Jangra should reflect on his mistake, people should not deny him the chance to learn from it.
“A person can be wrong. A person can make a terrible mistake. A person should face consequences. But I hope we never become a society that believes people cannot learn, reflect, apologise, or change. Social media trolling is not a joke, and that too for a 22-year-old mind. His future from here will already carry the consequences of this moment for a very long time,” Vishwakarma said.
Vishwakarma added that none of this made Jangra’s comments acceptable even as he reinforced his point about redemption—while also acknowledging that doing so was “like walking on a blade”.
“Again, that does not make the statements right. My hope is that Himanshu reflects on this chapter of his life. My hope is that he learns from it. And while we hold people accountable, let us also leave room for reflection, for growth, and positive transformation. That is the kind of society we hope to build here.”
The video has received nearly 2,000 comments. While several users applauded the sacking, Vishwakarma’s appeal for reflection got its share of brickbats.
“Let’s leave room for reflection and learning. I hope you extend that same understanding and energy to all those entitled men who hold the same views about the women in your family,” said one comment.
Another said, “It’s always a man defending actions like these.”
“You wouldn’t have chuked him out if it wasn’t for the social media pressure. You justified his act by the end of the message. God save people at your company who find such acts and jokes normal,” read a comment.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
