Pranesh Gautam
| Pranesh Gautam | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1995 Dharan, Nepal |
| Nationality | Nepal |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Genre | Film reviews |
| Total views | 465,061 (June 2019) |
Search Pranesh Gautam on Amazon.
Pranesh Gautam (Nepali: प्रनेश गौतम; born 1995 in Dharan, Nepal[1]) is a Nepalese stand-up comedian.
He came to limelight after his film review of the 2019 Nepalese drama film Bir Bikram 2, which led to his arrest under the Electronic Transaction Act.
Personal life
Gautam was born in 1995 in Dharan, Nepal.[1] Besides being a comedian, he is also an architect.[2]
Career
In March 2019, Gautam appeared in the finale of Mic Drop hosted by VMAG. About his appearance in the episode, Alisha Sijapati of The Kathmandu Post wrote, "It wasn’t funny and it wasn’t smart. I’m not the one to ask for political correctness from a comic, but if you’re going to be offensive, the least you can do is be funny."[3]
Movie review
Background
Gautam uploaded a film review of the 2019 Nepalese film Bir Bikram 2 on YouTube.[4] Nepali Times author Shashank Shrestha described the video, "The video review followed the regular trope of any satire on YouTube – Nostalgia critic, Kanan Gill, Angry Joe show – nitpicky, brazen and with absurdist humor, all hallmarks of success for a video review. Pranesh Gautam must have hoped that the review would get him his publishing channel Meme Nepal, the elusive virality content creators seek."[4] The film review had over 120,000 views on YouTube before the video was taken down.[5]
Arrest
On June 7, Nepalese Police arrested the comedian Gautam under the Electronic Transaction Act.[6] In 2018, Freedom Forum found that there were 104 incidents of violations; the Electronic Transaction Act was created to monitor online banking transactions.[4] The act allows the government to sentence up to 5 years in jail and a fine of up to Rs150,000 for improper social media posts.[4] Milan Chams the director of the film said, "the review has harmed the Nepali film industry as a whole—and his business prospects."[6] In response to this statement, The Kathmandu Post wrote, "The first allegation is ludicrous, as Chams does not represent all of Nepali film. The second allegation is, unfortunately, a side-effect of being a creative professional in a democracy, where criticism has consequences."[6] Nepal Police stated the comedian was arrested for defaming Nepali filmmakers and hampering the sales of Bir Bikram 2.[7][8] Gautam was bailed on June 14, a week after his arrest.[8]
Aftermath
After the arrest of the comedian, it sparked huge controversy in the Nepalese film industry.[6]The Kathmandu Post wrote in their review of Bir Bikram 2, "The things Gautam said in his review of this absurd film might be offensive to some, but a 24-year-old architect shouldn't have a police record courtesy of a film review. Chams could have dealt with Gautam in a more creative, solution-oriented approach. He could've written an article in reply, given an interview, or even made a video of his own in reply."[2] Rallies were held from Pulchowk, Lalitpur to Maitighar Mandala demanding the comedian’s release from jail.[9] After the controversy, Chams said, "I don't have any issues regarding Gautam and Meme Nepal's criticism about my movie. They have every right to review the film. But the words they have used are racist, derogatory and defame me" to The Himalayan Times.[9] He was released from prison on June 17, 2019.[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Comedian arrested for satirical review of movie in Nepal, triggers criticism of Oli govt". India Today. Press Trust of India. 2019-06-12. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dixit, Abhimanyu (2019-06-13). "Bir Bikram 2 is sexist, poorly plotted and includes crudely drawn characters". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
- ↑ "At the Mic Drop finale, everyone made sex jokes but not everyone was laughing". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Shrestha, Shashank (2019-06-12). "Nepal has press freedom, but no freedom after press". Nepali Times. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
- ↑ Rai, Bhrikuti (2019-06-02). "How a video of a film review provoked police complaint against a meme page". The Kathmandu Post. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "The case against Pranesh Gautam and meme Nepal is ridiculous". The Kathmandu Post. 2019-06-12. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
- ↑ "Comedian in police custody for a video reviewing the film Bir Bikram 2". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Avenue, Human Rights Watch | 350 Fifth; York, 34th Floor | New; t 1.212.290.4700, NY 10118-3299 USA | (2019-06-14). "Disparaging Film Review Can Mean Jail Time in Nepal". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Khadgi, Ankit; Joshi, Kriti (2019-06-12). "Rally held in capital demanding release of comedian Pranesh Gautam". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
- ↑ "Nepalese comedian Pranesh Gautam released from jail after nine days". MediaNama. 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
External links
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