The rise and fall of a digital comedy empire
In short: From parodying radio to producing original web series, All India Bakchod redefined Indian internet humor. But their meteoric growth as a creative agency was ultimately derailed by internal scandals and public backlash, leaving behind a complex legacy of cultural impact and controversy.
Founded in 2012 by Tanmay Bhat and Gursimran Khamba, All India Bakchod (AIB) began as a pop-culture podcast. The group expanded in 2013 when they co-founded a YouTube channel with Rohan Joshi and Ashish Shakya. By early 2015, the quartet had transformed their comedy act into a full-scale creative agency, hiring up to 40 employees by September 2018 to produce branded content for major corporations like Swiggy, Google Allo, and OnePlus.
The company's output was diverse, ranging from satirical sketches like 'AIB 365' to high-profile projects. They produced the web series 'On Air With AIB' for Disney+ Hotstar and worked on Amazon Prime Video's first Indian original fiction show, 'Ministry' (later renamed 'Gormint'). However, their reach also invited significant friction. In December 2014, they performed a celebrity roast called 'All India Bakchod Knockout,' which was eventually removed from YouTube following widespread public backlash and legal challenges, including a PIL filed in the Bombay High Court.
The company's dissolution in May 2019 followed two separate sexual harassment allegations against Bhat and Khamba in October 2018. These events were linked to the broader MeToo movement in India; specifically, an allegation against former employee Utsav Chakraborty sparked a national conversation. While some employees felt the company handled internal misconduct well, others criticized the founders for treating feminism as a 'meme-worthy narrative.' Following the company's collapse, the founders have continued to work independently in the comedy circuit.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: All India Bakchod
- Also: Wikidata — All India Bakchod · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — All India Bakchod Knockout · CC0
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