All India Bakchod Knockout

The All India Bakchod Knockout, also known as the AIB Knockout, was a celebrity roast event created by Mumbai-based creative agency All India Bakchod (AIB). The event was performed and filmed in December 2014 and uploaded to AIB’s YouTube channel on January 28, 2015. It was hosted by Karan Johar and featured Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor as the main subjects of the roast.

The AIB Knockout was a celebrity roast, a type of comedy event in which a specific individual or group is subjected to good-natured jokes and humorous insults from a group of roasters. Roasts are a longstanding comedic tradition in the United States, popularized by the likes of Dean Martin and Don Rickles. The AIB Knockout was the first Indian adaptation of the format.

The event was recorded at the NSCI Dome in Worli, Mumbai, and featured a number of prominent Indian comedians, actors, and musicians as roasters. Alongside Johar, the roasters included AIB members Tanmay Bhat, Rohan Joshi, Ashish Shakya, and Abish Mathew, as well as comedians Zakir Khan and Aditi Mittal. The event was sold out, with over 3,000 people in attendance.

The AIB Knockout was met with widespread controversy and backlash. Critics accused the roasters of making offensive and inappropriate jokes, particularly towards women and religious figures. The event was criticized by religious groups, Bollywood actors, and certain right-wing political activists. The backlash led AIB to remove the show from their YouTube channel on February 3, 2015.

In the wake of the controversy, AIB faced further criticism for their handling of the situation. The group issued a public apology, but many felt that the apology was inadequate and insincere. The incident also led to the cancellation of several planned AIB events and the suspension of their YouTube channel.

Despite the controversy, the AIB Knockout remains a significant moment in the history of Indian comedy. The event brought attention to the growing popularity of stand-up comedy in India and sparked a wider debate about freedom of expression and the limits of comedic satire. It also cemented AIB’s reputation as one of the leading comedy groups in India, despite the challenges they faced in the aftermath of the event.