Brut journalist Hamna explains why India’s Got Latent judge, Apoorva Mukhija aka the Rebel Kid, found herself facing severe online backlash and r**e threats following the controversial episode, and why it’s only women who often become targets of such online abuse. Let us know in the comments if you think there's a pattern of women being targeted online.
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00:00This panel on India's Got Latent had 5 people, 4 men and a woman.
00:05They made jokes and passed statements which hurt some sentiments.
00:08But only one of them received rape threats after the episode aired.
00:12And that was Apoorva Makhija, the only woman on the panel.
00:16Let me explain what happened.
00:21In February 2025, Apoorva Makhija, also known as the rebel kid,
00:25appeared on stand-up comedian Sameer Raina's YouTube show, India's Got Latent.
00:29The show that Sameer described as an unnecessary reality show
00:33featured people from across India who showcased their talent in 90 seconds.
00:37A panel of judges, who'd be YouTubers and celebrities,
00:40rated the performances and the winner would win a cash prize.
00:44Sometimes, the judges would roast the contestants and fellow judges.
00:48This is where Apoorva comes in, who was one of the creators on the judges' panel.
00:52I call myself Kaleshi Aurat, and there's a reason behind it.
00:55Apoorva became popular for her rants, skits and travel videos, amassing millions of followers.
01:00Hi guys, I'm Apoorva, and if you didn't know me, why did you click on this video?
01:03You don't have any work, do you?
01:05So sorry, I'm just kidding.
01:06She ranked 8th on Forbes' Top 100 Digital Stars in 2024.
01:13She was born and raised in Delhi, and her videos, characterised by outspokenness,
01:17became popular during the COVID lockdown.
01:23But she was often scrutinised, and she said she was slut-shamed and judged on the internet.
01:28In January 2025, a group of boys heckled her at a Delhi Technical University programme
01:34by shouting the name of her ex-boyfriend,
01:36and questioning her for criticising a YouTuber who she said roasted her.
01:47She later posted this video to explain her side.
01:53Of course, this is like so embarrassing for me, and like
01:57my friend is also sitting here, and there's an MC,
01:59and like 300 people are listening to this while I'm getting insulted.
02:03So then I started crying a little.
02:05But the one thing I have learnt in life is that no matter what happens,
02:09don't cry in front of the world.
02:11Your whole life will be against you.
02:13And if you're a woman, you cannot cry, otherwise you're playing the sympathy card.
02:17I was like, I can't cry.
02:19What should I do next? Kalesh.
02:21Has it ever happened that a boy has come on the Influencer stage,
02:24and you're shouting his ex's name from the audience?
02:26A few days after this, Apoorva appeared on the India's Got Latent episode,
02:30alongside creators such as Ranbir Allahbadia and Ashish Chanchlani.
02:34While this episode got the maximum heat for a question Ranbir posed to a contestant,
02:38Apoorva also faced flak for some of her comments on it.
02:42One of her comments was a response to a man who asked,
02:45is there no sensation in your vagina?
02:47She responded by saying, have you ever seen one after leaving your mother's?
02:56But the criticism against her took the shape of rape and death threats,
03:00a pattern that women have repeatedly faced on social media.
03:04Women are often subjected to rape threats and even doxxing by people who disagree with them.
03:09On social media, it's not just jokes that result in women getting rape threats.
03:13Anonymous users and others use it to respond to women's political opinions,
03:18choice of clothes and other actions.
03:20For example, in 2022, men on a live audio app, Clubhouse,
03:25issued rape threats against women who expressed their political opinions on it.
03:29In 2024, actor Mimi Chakraborty said rape threats have been normalized,
03:34while highlighting some of the comments and messages she received
03:37for sharing posts protesting the rape and murder of a trainee doctor
03:41at Kolkata's RG Kaur Medical College and Hospital.
03:44In the same case, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said
03:47his female colleagues were getting rape threats for representing the West Bengal government in court.
03:52But rape threats are not just limited to social media.
03:55A real-life incident transpired in Bengaluru in 2024,
03:59when a man accosted a woman driver in a road rage incident.
04:02She said he told her that he'd rape and kill her entire family
04:06if she shared the video of him that she had recorded.
04:11In some of the screenshots of the alleged threats to Apoorva,
04:22people could be seen referencing her remarks on India's Got Latent.
04:26She was one of the 30 people, including Ranveer and Sameer,
04:31as well as the organizers of India's Got Latent,
04:34against whom police complaints were filed for the use of abusive language,
04:39promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit and vulgar discussion.
04:44In Apoorva's case, a section of social media users opposed the rape threats targeting her
04:49by tracking down the people who were issuing these threats
04:52and flagging their behavior to their families and colleges.
05:04Rape threats can be reported on the respective social media platform
05:07as well as on the national cybercrime portal cybercrime.gov.in
05:12or even at a local police station.
05:14According to section 79 of the Bharatiya Nihai Sanhita,
05:17anyone who, in order to outrage a woman's modesty,
05:21utters any words, makes any sound or gesture or exhibits any object in any form
05:27can be sent to jail for up to three years and a fine.
05:31But it isn't clear if complaints against rape threats
05:34have ended in conclusive legal decisions so far.