Viral Rs 370 Biryani Controversy Sparks Fake Zomato Notification
Zomato issued a clarification after a fake notification went viral amid the ‘Biryani Is Not Consent’ debate, with Mumbai Police also joining the conversation.
SociapaHQ
A viral controversy over a stand-up comedy clip, a fake Zomato notification and a public awareness message from Mumbai Police has opened up a larger conversation around consent and online misinformation.
The episode began in early June when a clip of the stand-up comedian Pranit More’s routine went viral on social media.
In a crowd-work segment, a 22-year-old member of the audience said that he was entitled to physical intimacy to "recover" money spent Rs 370 on a chicken biryani for a date.
The comments drew immediate backlash online, with many social media users condemning the statement as an attempt at commodifying consent.
The backlash reportedly cost the person his job at a Gurugram-based firm, while More later publicly apologised for the incident.
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Fake Zomato Screenshot Goes Viral:
The phrase “Biryani is dinner, not consent” went viral on social media and internet users started making memes and parody content on the controversy.
One of them was a fake screenshot claiming to show a push notification on food delivery platform Zomato.
The fake notification read: “BIRYANI BHEJDU? 370 KI HAI BAS” (Should I send biryani? (Just Rs 370).
The image was quickly shared online and some users initially thought it was sent by the company.
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Zomato Issues Clarification:
Zomato issued an official clarification denying responsibility for the viral screenshot, saying it was not their content.
On its social media channels, the company posted a black graphic that read: “Biryani is dinner, not consent. The screenshot of the distasteful notification that you might have seen with our name is a fake. “We didn’t send that or write it.
The statement was meant to counter misinformation but reinforce the larger message coming out of the public debate.
Mumbai Police Joins Conversation:
The Mumbai Police too responded to the trend on its social media channels.
The police department is known to use topical moments and internet culture to communicate public safety messages. In this case, they created a visual in which the zero in Rs 370 has been replaced by a plate of biryani.
The accompanying message read: “₹370 for a plate of biryani. Our lock-up offers free meals with a longer stay. " #BiryaniIsNotConsent.”
The post linked the current conversation about consent with a warning about the legal consequences of bad behaviour.
