The AIB Roast had stirred up a lot of controversy with a section of the audience, including some religious organisations, protesting the content of the show. The AIB Knockout was premiered on YouTube amidst a lot of fan fare on January 28, 2015.
While some termed the jokes on the show as 'cheap' and 'vulgar', some religious organisations said their sentiments were hurt and filed complaints against the people associated. Tendering an unconditional apology for their act, the AIB team released a statement on Monday along with the text of the letter addressed to the Archbishop of Mumbai.
"Amidst the din over the AIB Knockout, we’ve had the opportunity to reach out to some groups who have had questions about the jokes and the taste they were made in. Our conversations with members of the government (and other political parties) have been civil and frank. Authorities at multiple levels have heard us out patiently and open-mindedly, and we thank them for that. In places where we expected hostility, we have found instead a heartening willingness to engage", explained the AIB team.
The team also sent a letter to the Archbishop of Mumbai, tendering an unconditional apology, which has been accepted by the Archdiocese. "Bp. Agnelo Gracias on behalf of the Archdiocese of Bombay accepted the unconditional apology and in the spirit of understanding and reconciliation stated that the Archdiocese accepts the AIB apology and considers this matter closed", the AIB team said.
However, the group also pointed out that matters such as these should be resolved through patient discussions. "During our interaction with the archdiocese, both parties agreed on another important thing; these matters are best solved by frank, patient conversation, not by pointless rabble-rousing or politicization or by taking up adversarial positions for the sake of eyeballs," they said.
Here's the official statement released by AIB:
