The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) has removed social media influencer Apoorva Makhija’s name from its list of promoters, sources confirmed on Friday.
This comes after a major controversy surrounding podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia’s remarks on the comedy show ‘India’s Got Latent’, where Makhija also appeared as a panelist.
IIFA 2025 is scheduled to take place in Jaipur on March 8-9 this year. Initially, Makhija was listed as one of the event’s promoters, but following public outrage and legal action against several comedians and influencers associated with ‘India’s Got Latent,’ her name has been officially removed.
IIFA officials confirmed on Friday that the decision was made in response to the widespread backlash that erupted after the controversial comments made during the show. The controversy started when podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, along with other influencers like Samay Raina, Ashish Chanchlani and Apoorva Makhija, were accused of making obscene and offensive remarks in their comedy show. On Thursday, a legal complaint was filed in Kota against these influencers, alleging that their content promotes vulgarity and erodes traditional values. The complainants, a group of lawyers, argued that such material negatively influences society, particularly the youth.
Following the outrage, multiple cases have been registered across India, including one by Assam Police, under sections related to obscenity and public morality.
Apoorva Makhija first gained popularity during the Covid pandemic with her viral Instagram skits and reels. Recently, she appeared as a guest panelist on ‘India’s Got Latent’ alongside Ranveer Allahbadia, Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh and host Samay Raina.
During the episode, Makhija was involved in a heated exchange with a contestant, which further fueled the controversy. With her removal from IIFA 2025’s list of promoters, it remains to be seen how this controversy will impact her future collaborations and social media presence.