Cricketer Hardik Pandya found himself in controversy recently after he and his peer, KL Rahul appeared on Karan Johar’s talk show Koffee With Karan. Hardik Pandya said several highly problematic things on the show – ranging from sexism, misogyny, racism to cultural appropriation, which did not go down well with viewers. And now, the cricketers have been served a show cause notice by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), seeking explanations for their remarks.
The BCCI’s move comes a day after Hardik issued an apology on Twitter, which was quite similar to apologies issued by many men during the Me Too movement, simply because they had been caught. He clarified that he did not mean to “disrespect or hurt anyone’s sentiments” and had gotten carried away with the nature of the show.
Vinod Rai, chief of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), a four-member panel nominated by the Supreme Court in 2017 to oversee the administration of the BCCI, told PTI that the cricketers had been given a period of 24 hours to respond to the show cause notice.
A senior BCCI official told Hindustan Times that Haridik’s comments revealed his attitude towards sensitive issues like respecting women and disregard for his responsibilities as an international cricketer.
Calling his behaviour on the talk show “unacceptable” the official said that his apology was not enough to close the issue. “He (Hardik) needs to understand the impact the utterances of an international cricketer have in this country but more importantly he needs to learn how to differentiate between the right and the wrong,” he said.
A BCCI source also told PTI that the body was considering disallowing cricketers from appearing on shows unrelated to cricket.
Hardik and KL Rahul have been under fire ever since the Koffee With Karan episode aired on January 6. While Rahul himself did not make problematic statements, he did not counter Hardik when he made statements like “I like to watch and observe how they (women) move [in nightclubs]. I’m little from the Black side so I need to see how they move.” This was Hardik’s response to Karan’s question on why Hardik does not ask names of the women he meets in nightclubs.
Twitter user Sreeparna Mazumder collated a thread of the several other problematic statements made by Hardik on the show.
A thread on all the creepy, misogynist, racist, and problematic things Hardik Pandya said on Koffee With Karan:
— Sreeparna Mazumder (@Sreeep) January 6, 2019
1) KJo: Why don't you ask women's names at nightclubs?
HP: I like to watch and observe how they move. I'm little from the Black side so I need to see how they move.
Hardik Pandya: "When I lost my virginity, I came home and said, "Main karke aya hai aaj"."
— Sreeparna Mazumder (@Sreeep) January 6, 2019
HP: "At a party my parents asked me acha tera wala (women) kaun sa hai so I said yeh, yeh, yeh (pointing out women) and they were like waah proud of u beta."
The male privilege tho
3) KJo: If y'all hit on the same women, then how you decide?
— Sreeparna Mazumder (@Sreeep) January 6, 2019
KL Rahul: "Ya upto the woman."
Hardik Pandya: "Nahi nahi aisa kuch nahi hai, talent pe hota hai. Jiso mila woh leke jao."
So much respect for women woww, just banter cool cool cool cool cool
4) KJo: The most embarrassing thing in a locker room?
— Sreeparna Mazumder (@Sreeep) January 6, 2019
KL Rahul: It was a cultural shock to see teammates semi/fully naked in the locker room.
Hardik Pandya: "I like to spank, bando ko dhappad karke dene ka, unko lagta hoga mere liye normal hai."
Sexual harassment 101???
5) Also, I know we all stalk people on Instagram but these guys discussed it so coolly like stalking women on social media is a totally normal thing to do. It's NOT! It can amount to cyber-stalking for God's sake. Don't normalise it.
— Sreeparna Mazumder (@Sreeep) January 6, 2019
6) Lastly, the sheer disrespect and sexist way these guys discussed women and relationships made me cringe. Cricket is a religion in this country and young boys watching the show are going to follow in the footsteps of their heroes. Do they not have any social responsibility?
— Sreeparna Mazumder (@Sreeep) January 6, 2019
The #KoffeeWithKaran epi further proves that cricket is not a gentlemen's game. It's dominated by UC, nationalist, sexist men who're smug about their privilege and the crazy fan following they have. This I say as someone who loved the sport. I've evolved and idc anymore.
— Sreeparna Mazumder (@Sreeep) January 6, 2019
Several people pointed out the male entitlement and misogyny apparent as the three men, including the host, laughed over these deeply disrespectful comments made on the show.
The Koffee episode with Hardik Pandya smugly sitting with male entitlement & misogyny oozing out is so difficult to watch without cringing. Even though KL Rahul seems like the nice charming guy, by enabling the behaviour of creepy friends like Pandya, you're a part of the problem
— June Paul (@journojuno) January 8, 2019
Too much chivalry expected from a person who I think, can't even spell misogyny, let alone understand or act according to the meaning of it. #HardikPandya #KWK
— Cassidy Ray (@CassidyRay20) January 7, 2019
Watching Koffee with Karan (or however you spell it) with Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul and the toxic masculinity and racism egged on by Karan Johar’s giggles are the reason why Indian men are encouraged to unapologetically misogynistic. Unfortunate!
— Sanjana Chowhan (@Sanjanachowhan) January 6, 2019
This is so classic! All guys are offended that Hardik Pandya chose Virat over Sachin and not by his absolutely disgusting, classless, misogynist behaviour. #KoffeeWithKaran
— Pradnya (@topradnya) January 6, 2019
THIS, and not them choosing Virat over Sachin, was THE BIGGEST problem of last night's KWK ep. Why am I not surprised that men/boys are calling it an "overreaction" from women? @karanjohar, who loves to apologise, should now apologise for calling these assholes on his show. https://t.co/EqaWA6v9PJ
— Sohini (@Mittermaniac) January 7, 2019
Love how out of all the problematic things Hardik Pandya blurted out on KWK, the one we're most *pissed* off about is him picking Virat Kohli over Sachin Tendulkar. Of course, chanting "Sachin! Sachin!" till you die is more important than treating women as just trophies, k cool.
— Poulomi (@PouloCruelo) January 7, 2019
Meanwhile, veteran cricket commentator and expert Harsha Bhogle said that while it was good to issue a show cause notice to the offending cricketers, BCCI should also sensitise “young players to life beyond the dressing room”.
It is all very well to issue show-cause notices now to KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya. But I do wish the BCCI spends time in sensitising these young players to life beyond the dressing room; to getting them outside the bubble that is inevitable given the adulation they get.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 9, 2019