Arunabh Kumar

Last updated

Arunabh Kumar
Born (1982-11-26) 26 November 1982 (age 41)
Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India
Occupations
  • Entrepreneur
  • producer
  • screenwriter
  • director
  • actor
Years active2007-present
Spouse
Shruti Ranjan
​
(m. 2022)​
Children1

Arunabh Kumar (born 26 November 1982) is an Indian entrepreneur, producer, director, screenwriter, and an actor. He is the founder of streaming platform, The Viral Fever (TVF). His shows are often characterized by parody, lightheartedness, youth oriented, and competitive exams in India.

Contents

Early life and career

Arunabh Kumar was brought up in Muzaffarpur in Bihar. [1] After completing his B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur, he joined Shah Rukh Khan's production house Red Chillies Entertainment as an assistant's position under Farah Khan. He was the assistant director for the movie Om Shanti Om . [2]

MTV rejected his creation Engineer's Diary which led to the launching of The Viral Fever. [3] [4]

Personal life

In 2022, Kumar married his girlfriend of 10 years, Shruti Ranjan. [5]

Sexual misconduct allegations

In March 2017, Kumar was accused by an anonymous person, who used the pseudonym "Indian Fowler" on website Medium. [6] In the post titled "The Indian Uber — That is TVF", she wrote that she was propositioned and sexually harassed by Kumar on multiple occasions and that it had become "routine". [7] [8] [9] After the anonymous blog post, nine more women came forward and made allegations of sexual misconduct against Kumar. [10] [11] After almost three days, there were 50 women who accused him for sexual allegations. [12]

On 29 March 2017, he was booked for molestation after a woman filed a police complaint in Mumbai. [13] Following day, a second FIR was filed against him on charges of sexual harassment. [14] The first complainant was a 26-year-old woman who worked for a production house and was also a writer. The incident, she alleged, took place at TVF's office in May 2016, when she interacted with Arunabh over some project. TVF denied all the allegations and said that they would "leave no stone unturned to find the author of the article and bring them to severe justice for making such false allegations.". [15] [16] [17]

Following the allegations, Kumar was arrested on 22 April 2017 but was released on bail the same day after paying a bond of Rs. 10,000. [18] [19] On 16 June 2017, Kumar who was accused in multiple sexual harassment cases, stepped down as TVF CEO and gave the charge to Dhawal Gusain. [20] [21]

After a hiatus of 3 years, He rejoined TVF (The Viral Fever) as a mentor. [22] [23] On 28 December 2022, Mumbai court acquitted Kumar of all the charges, 5 years after he faced charges for sexual misconduct. [24] [25] [26] [27]

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleNote(s)
2007 Om Shanti Om Transgender auditioning for Shantipriya's roleUncredited; also assistant director
2020Such is Life—Producer only; Short film
2022Chhath Mahaparv—Producer only; Short film
2024 Powder —Producer only; Kannada film

Television

YearTitleCreatorDirectorWriterProducerNote(s)
2014-2023 Permanent Roommates YesYes
2015-2022 TVF Pitchers YesYesYesYesAlso portrayed Yogendra Kumar "Yogi" Pandey
2015Barely Speaking with ArnubYes
2016F.A.T.H.E.R.SYes
2016-2023Humorously YoursYesYes
2016-2022 TVF Tripling Yes
2016-present The Aam Aadmi Family Yes
2017-presentTSP's Rabish ki ReportYes
2017Bisht, Please!Yes
Office v OfficeYes
2018-2022 Girls Hostel Yes
2018-2021Engineering GirlsYes
2018-present Flames Yes
2018-2024 Yeh Meri Family Yes
2018-2023 College Romance Yes
2019-present Cubicles Yes
ImMATURE Yes
Kota Factory YesYesYes
Gullak Yes
2019-2023 Hostel Daze Yes
2020 CommitMental Yes Telugu language show
2020-present Panchayat YesYes
2021-present Aspirants YesYes
2021The InternsYes
2022NCR DaysYes
Bade Chote JasoosYes
SixerrYesYes
Bachelors vs the WorldYes
SistersYes
Sonu Beauty ParlourYes
Baap Beta Aur OfficeYes
DadugiriYes
Saas Bahu Achaar Pvt. Ltd. YesYes
The Winning SecretsYes
Who's your GynacYes
2023 Half CA YesYesYes
Kaalkoot YesYes
SK Sir ki ClassYes
Angrezi Mat JhadYes
Engga Hostel Yes Tamil language show
Arranged CoupleYes
The Talent ManagerYes
Hostel Days Yes Telugu language show
Sandeep BhaiyaYes
BuildersYes
Sapne vs EveryoneYes
Mom @ WorkYes
2024Very ParivarikYesYes
SisterhoodYes
IndustryYes

Awards and achievements

He was included in the list of The Economic Times 40 under Forty list for 2016, [28] Fortune Top 40 under 40 list for 2015, [29] GQ's List of Most Influential Young Indians for 2015 and 2016, [30] "Entrepreneur" List of 10 Geniuses Redefining Creativity of 2016. [31] He was also awarded Man's World - Men of the Year in 2014, [32] and AFAQs- "Newsmaker of the Year" in 2014. [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajdeep Sardesai</span> Indian news anchor, journalist and author

Rajdeep Sardesai is an Indian news anchor, reporter, journalist and author. He is a consulting editor and an anchor of India Today Television. He was the Editor-in-Chief of Global Broadcast News, that included CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat, before resigning in July 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanushree Dutta</span> Miss India Universe and Actress

Tanushree Dutta is an Indian former actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Femina Miss India Universe 2004 and then represented her country at Miss Universe 2004 in Ecuador where she placed Top 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh</span> Indian politician (born 1957)

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is an Indian politician. He was a six time Member of Parliament from Kaiserganj as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was the president of the Wrestling Federation of India. In 2024, his son Karan Bhushan Singh, the president of Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Federation, was fielded in his place as the BJP candidate from Kaiserganj and he won by a margin of more than 140,000 votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amit Singhal</span> American computer engineer

Amitabh Kumar "Amit" Singhal is a former senior vice president at Google Inc., having been a Google Fellow and the head of Google's Search team for 15 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chanda Kochhar</span> Indian businesswoman (born 1961)

Chanda Kochhar is an Indian banker. She was the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of ICICI Bank from 2009 to 2018 She resigned from her positions in 2018 due a case of conflict of interest. Subsequently, she was fired by ICICI Bank, a decision which was later upheld by the Supreme Court of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All India Bakchod</span> Indian creative agency

All India Bakchod was a Mumbai-based comedy company which created the eponymous podcast, YouTube channel and production company. The name is a parody of All India Radio. It began in 2012 as a humour/pop-culture podcast co-started by comedians Tanmay Bhat and Gursimran Khamba. Their friends and contemporary comedians, Rohan Joshi and Ashish Shakya were frequent guests and the four co-founded the YouTube channel in 2013 and began making sketches. They subsequently formed a digital agency and produced sketches, live comedy and TV shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Viral Fever</span> Internet video on demand service

The Viral Fever, abbreviated to TVF, is an Indian video on demand and over-the-top media service and YouTube channel started by TVF Media Labs in 2010, and currently owned and operated by Contagious Online Media Network Private Limited. According to the founder Arunabh Kumar, the thought behind starting TVF was to reach out to the younger generation who seldom watch television entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanmay Bhat</span> Indian stand-up Comedian (born 1987)

Tanmay Bhat is an Indian YouTuber, comedian, scriptwriter, Actor, performer and producer who hails from Mumbai, Maharashtra. Born in a Kannada speaking South Indian middle class family, Bhat did his schooling from Cosmopolitan Education Society located in Andheri. He went on to pursue his higher education at the R. D. National College and Jai Hind College. He is the co-founder and former CEO of the creative agency All India Bakchod (AIB) along with Gur simranjeet Singh Khamba. In 2018, he was the judge on season 1 of Comicstaan, a stand-up comedy competition broadcast on Amazon Prime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asit Kumarr Modi</span> Indian television series producer

Asit Kumarr Modi is an Indian TV producer, director, actor and founder of Neela Film Productions. He is known for producing the serials Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, SAB Khelo SAB Jeeto!, Wah! Wah! Kya Baat Hai!, Krishnaben Khakhrawala, Pyaar Mein Twist, Meri Biwi Wonderful, Yeh Duniya Hai Rangeen and Hum Sab Ek Hai.

Biswapati Sarkar is an Indian Screenwriter and Producer working with Posham Pa Pictures, a production house he co-founded with Sameer Saxena, Amit Golani and Saurabh Khanna. Sarkar previously worked as the Executive Creative Director and Writer at The Viral Fever (TVF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jitendra Kumar</span> Indian actor

Jitendra Kumar is an Indian actor. He is best known for his role of Jitu in TVF Pitchers, Jeetu Bhaiya in the series Kota Factory, and for his roles in Amazon Prime's comedy series Panchayat and in the film Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. He has received several awards including two Filmfare OTT Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ScoopWhoop</span> Indian internet media and news company

ScoopWhoop Media is an Indian digital media company based in New Delhi. It operates various online content verticals and serves as a news organisation featuring web series, documentaries and current affairs reporting with a focus on video production and primarily catering to adolescents and young adults. It also features other infotainment and entertainment content.

<i>TVF Pitchers</i> 2015 Indian web series

TVF Pitchers is an Indian Hindi-language web series created by The Viral Fever (TVF) and developed by Arunabh Kumar. It features Naveen Kasturia, Arunabh Kumar, Jitendra Kumar and Abhay Mahajan along with Maanvi Gagroo and Riddhi Dogra.

<i>Permanent Roommates</i> Indian web series

Permanent Roommates is an Indian romantic comedy web series produced by The Viral Fever Media Labs. It was created by Arunabh Kumar, the founder of TVF, who also worked as the executive producer of the series. Written and developed by Biswapati Sarkar along with Sameer Saxena, the series is directed by Saxena and Deepak Kumar Mishra. Starring Sumeet Vyas and Nidhi Singh, this series revolves around a young couple, Tanya and Mikesh, who after being in a long distance relationship for three years, face the prospect of marriage.

<i>Yeh Meri Family</i> 2018 Indian web series

Yeh Meri Family is an Indian comedy drama web series, created and directed by Sameer Saxena for The Viral Fever. The script was written by Saurabh Khanna, as his first writing project. The series follows the life of a 12-year-old Harshu Gupta, played by Vishesh Bansal, in Jaipur, Rajasthan in the late 1990s. It also stars Mona Singh, Akarsh Khurana, Ahan Nirban, Ruhi Khan, Prasad Reddy, as members of the Gupta family and their acquaintances.

The Indian#MeToo movement began in late 2018 to manifest in areas of the Indian society including the government, the media, and the Bollywood film industry. In India, the Me Too movement is seen as either an independent outgrowth influenced by the international campaign against sexual harassment of women in the workplace, or an offshoot of the American "Me Too" social movement. Me Too began gaining prominence in India with the increasing popularity of the international movement, and later gathered sharp momentum in October 2018 in the entertainment industry of Bollywood, centered in Mumbai, when actress Tanushree Dutta accused Nana Patekar of sexual harassment. This led to many women in the news media, Indian films, and even within the government to speak out and bring allegations of sexual harassment against a number of perpetrators.

<i>Kota Factory</i> 2019 Indian Hindi-language web series

Kota Factory is an Indian Hindi-language television series created by Saurabh Khanna, directed by Raghav Subbu and produced by Arunabh Kumar for The Viral Fever. The story is set in Kota, Rajasthan, an educational hub famous for its coaching centres. The show follows the life of 16-year-old Vaibhav who moves to Kota from Itarsi. It shows the life of students in the city, and Vaibhav's efforts to get into an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) by cracking the Joint Entrance Examination. It also stars Jitendra Kumar, Ahsaas Channa, Alam Khan, Ranjan Raj, Revathi Pillai, Priyanshu Raj and Urvi Singh in prominent roles.

The Jasleen Kaur harassment controversy stemmed from the allegation of sexual harassment made by Jasleen Kaur against Sarvjeet Singh in 2015 and the events that followed. In August 2015, Jasleen Kaur, a woman from Delhi posted a photo of Sarvjeet Singh on Facebook, alleging that Singh had sexually harassed her. The post went viral on social media in India, garnering widespread attention. National celebrities and politicians provided Kaur with widespread support for raising her voice against eve-teasing and sexual harassment on social media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Priya Ramani</span> Indian Journalist

Priya Ramani is an Indian journalist, writer, and editor. In October 2018, during the Me Too movement in India, Ramani alleged sexual harassment against now-former Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar, and in February 2021, Ramani was acquitted in the criminal defamation case Akbar had filed against her. In October 2020, Ramani co-created the India Love Project on Instagram.

References

  1. ↑ Saxena, Aditi (6 February 2015). "This IIT Kharagpur alumnus is the brain behind The Viral Fever Media". The Economic Times. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  2. ↑ "Not Deepika Padukone, Ex-TVF CEO Arunabh Kumar Auditioning for Shah Rukh Khan's Heroine Role in Om Shanti Om is Memorable! | India.com". www.india.com. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "How MTV's rejection created Q-tiyapa". Hindustan Times. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  4. ↑ "EC – How an IITian sodomized by MTV created his own youth channel – The Viral Fever bluff". enoogle. Retrieved 21 March 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ "TVF founder Arunabh Kumar ties the knot with girlfriend Shruti Ranjan, see pics". Indian Express. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  6. ↑ "Tlolhe Indian Uber- That is TVF". 12 March 2017. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  7. ↑ "TVF founder Arunabh Kumar faces case of sexual harassment". 30 March 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  8. ↑ "Several people accuse TVF CEO of sexual harassment". The Times of India . 15 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "An IIT Grad, A Viral Video Start-Up, Sex Harassment Allegations: 10 Facts". 15 March 2017.
  10. ↑ "Arunabh Kumar TVF Harassment Controversy". INC42. 14 March 2017.
  11. ↑ "TVF Founder Arunabh Kumar and the Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Him". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "Are there over 50 sexual harassment accusations against TVF CEO Arunabh Kumar now?". IndiaToday. 15 March 2017.
  13. ↑ "TVF molestation row: Founder-CEO Anurabh Kumar booked after a victim registers case in Mumbai". Indian Express . 29 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  14. ↑ "Second FIR lodged against TVF CEO Arunabh Kumar on charges of sexual harassment". Hindustan Times . 30 March 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  15. ↑ "TVF CEO Arunabh Kumar Steps Down: Read Full Text Of His Statement". NDTV.com. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  16. ↑ "Mumbai Film Festival Diary 2014: On day 5, comedians talk about social media's cool new generation of stars in Alia and Parineeti". IBN Live. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  17. ↑ "ARUNABH KUMAR". IndiaToday. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  18. ↑ "TVF CEO Arunabh Kumar arrested on sexual harassment charges; released on Rs 10,000 bail". FIRSTPOST. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  19. ↑ "TVF Founder Arunabh Kumar Gets Anticipatory Bail In Sexual Harassment Case". NDTV. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  20. ↑ "Arunabh Kumar steps down as TVF CEO". The Times of India. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  21. ↑ "TVF CEO Arunabh Kumar, Accused of Sexual Harassment, Steps Down".
  22. ↑ "Main Founding Members of 'TVF-The Viral Fever' Quit". India Forums. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  23. ↑ "Vijay Koshy makes a comeback to TVF as President". Indian Advertising Media & Marketing News – exchange4media. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  24. ↑ "Mumbai court acquits TVF founder Arunabh Kumar in 2017 sexual harassment case". Hindustan Times. 28 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  25. ↑ "TVF founder Arunabh Kumar Acquitted In Sexual Harassment Case". NDTv.
  26. ↑ "In a 2017 sexual harassment case, a Mumbai court acquitted TVF founder Arunabh Kumar". In a 2017 sexual harassment case, a Mumbai court acquitted TVF founder Arunabh Kumar. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  27. ↑ Sadaf Modak (28 December 2022). "Delay in filing FIR: TVF founder Arunabh Kumar cleared of harassment charge".
  28. ↑ "40 under Forty: Celebrating Young Leaders". 29 September 2015.
  29. ↑ "40 Under 40". Fortune India.
  30. ↑ "The 50 most influential young Indians". 27 July 2015. Archived from the original on 4 October 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  31. ↑ "10 Geniuses Who Are Redefining the Future of Creativity". ENTREPRENEUR INDIA. 30 January 2016.
  32. ↑ "Men of the Year 2014". 9 January 2015.
  33. ↑ "People in the News". Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.