‘Not over till I say it is’: Apoorva Mukhija makes bold return with viral Youtube video
In an emotional video posted on Youtube yesterday, influencer Apoorva Mukhija, aka The Rebel Kid, made her first statement since her controversial appearance on comedian Samay Raina’s show, India’s Got Latent, back in February. The episode led to major backlash against Raina, Mukhija, and Ranveer Allahbadia, owing to their jokes about sex that many deemed inappropriate and crass.
In the weeks that followed, Mukhija unfollowed everyone and deleted all of her posts on Instagram, going radio silent for weeks. Two days ago, she shared a 20 slide carousel on the platform filled with screenshots of comments and messages she had received after her appearance on Latent. Among them were threats of death, rape, as well as acid attack. Some users mentioned her address and threatened to wait outside her house to attack her. Furthermore, some netizens found her parents’ social media accounts and started leaving such comments there.
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Yesterday, she shared a video titled, “Till I say it is” on Youtube, which has garnered over 4 million views in less than 24 hours. Speaking of her comments on India’s Got Latent, she said ““When I responded on Latent, it didn’t come from a place of trying to be funny, savage, or create a moment. It came from genuine anger and the need to retaliate. My intention was never to hurt anyone—except perhaps that man’s ego. But regardless of my intent, I now realise that my words may have hurt others, and that is something I never meant to do. I create content to entertain, to make people laugh, not to cause pain. I should have been more mindful, and I truly have learned my lesson.”
She then broke down while detailing her experiences with slut-shaming, self-harm, and abuse, saying, “A lot of times in life, people are going to tell you it's over. I used to live in a house that never felt like home for 17 years. I have cried a lot of sleepless nights in that house, I have self-harmed, and I still have the scars, and back then, every day I used to think that it's over. I fell in love with a man who promised to love me, protect me, and marry me, and then one day he hit me. And that day, I thought it was over. I was slut-shamed by my relatives before I got to know what that word even meant. I have been talked about, conspired and punished for things I never did, and I thought it was over. I have been the laughingstock, punching bag and that girl who could be raped and then thrown acid on if they saw her alive and I really thought it was over. But it isn’t.” She urged her female viewers to take back their power and not let anyone else decide when it is “over” for them.
The video has resonated with many people and Mukhija has received a lot of support, with many fans expressing their concern and disgust at the kind of messages she received. It has led to a larger conversation about Indian men and how much they contribute to making physical as well as digital spaces unsafe for women.
All the proceeds the video earns through AdSense will be donated to Laxmi Foundation, an NGO that supports women who have survived acid attacks and sexual violence. Mukhija has urged viewers to donate as well. She has also linked the number to iCall, a telephone and email based counselling service run by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) for individuals facing emotional and psychological distress.
