Why the AIB Roast on TV is pitch-perfect

We expected All India Back (AIB) to have clipped its wings and gagged its motor mouth after the trouble that it went through over the live performance with Karan Johar, Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor where they air-fornicated.

But some forces can't be put down. Thankfully. I am delighted to say the AIB's new avatar On Air With AIB on Star Plus sees them taking on everybody and everything from Neil Nitin Mukesh to the Establishment without fear of a backlash.

They do try to behave like good boys at a parents-teachers meet, but end up exposing their bratty underbelly in no time at all. Of course, the cusswords are beeped out. But then the Roast gang is pretty clear about not losing out on the television audience for the sake of irreverence.

On Sunday night AIB took on Mulayam Singh Yadav's birthday bash and A R Rahman's presence at the event. The comments were scathing. The question that was being asked was, why would Rahman be seen at a bash that is so blatantly political unless he was coerced? The AIB suggested….umm… a gun at the head? Ouch!

Other episodes have taken on grim topics such as the dangers faced by the RTI activists and the risks of becoming rich and famous in a country that doesn't encourage individuals to rise beyond a point. Patriotic pride is savagely dissected and selfrighteous claims to being cultural custodians are not tolerated on the show.

Let's hope the AIB's first mainstream show doesn't get axed on grounds of irreverence. God knows, we need to laugh at the sacred cows.