Nearly seven months ago, comedian Samay Raina launched his show 'India's Got Latent' on YouTube. What was the first thing the audience noticed? The title's similarity with another reality programme India's Got Talent which had already clocked 10 seasons.
Samay Raina's show, which he co-hosts with entrepreneur Balraj Singh Ghai, had one motto: "An unnecessary reality show, with no point, just like life." And it served everything, but above all humour -- often deemed dark, crass and abusive -- making it an instant hit among the audience.
Not that it didn't come under criticism before, but on Sunday, YouTuber-podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia's vulgar questions of a contestant proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back. There was massive criticism on social media, and a police complaint was filed against Samay Raina, Ranveer Allahbadia, influencer Apoorva Mukhija, and others for using tasteless language on the show.
What the show is about
India's Got Latent offers contestants a stage to showcase their unique and often bizarre skills. From slam poetry and magic to comedy, singing, and dancing. The show covers almost everything.
In contrast to conventional talent shows, Samay Raina's platform placed an emphasis on entertainment and comedy, with hosts and special guests offering lighthearted criticism of the performances. How it differs from other programmes is that it gets a new panel of judges in each new episode, with only Samay Raina being the constant.
Points system
The show also stands out with a unique scoring format. Contestants have 90 seconds to exhibit their talent, but before they start, they must predict their score out of 10. After the performance, the judges rate them, and if the average of the judges' scores matches the contestant's self-assessment, they win the show and take home the earnings from that day's ticket sales. According to the show, the format aims to test how self-aware participants are.
They also give feedback on the performances, while the host interacts with the contestants and the audience.
Controversies surrounding India's Got Latent
The show grew popular over time, but critics say it also got vulgar with each episode. The judges, in the name of roasting and banter, aired unhinged, outrightly obnoxious views. The comedians on the show have also been accused of making comments about women's bodies and using unparliamentary language in the guise of comedy.
In one of the episodes, during a performance, the judges made derogatory comments about differently abled people, causing outrage on social media.
Banti Banerjee, a contestant, faced criticism for mocking Deepika Padukone's struggle with depression after becoming a mother. She also made insensitive remarks about the 2024 Kolkata rape and murder case.
In another performance, some contestants made disrespectful remarks about guest judge Urfi Javed. They compared her to adult actress Mia Khalifa and asked her "body count."
Maharashtra Chief Minister reacts
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took note of the comments made on the show and said everyone had freedom of speech but "our freedom ends when we encroach upon the freedom of others".
"If someone violates them it is absolutely wrong and action should be taken against them," he added.
On Monday, Allahbadia apologised for his comments, saying it was a "lapse in judgement" on his part, adding "comedy wasn't his forte."
"I am not going to give any context, justification or reasoning behind whatever happened. I am just here for an apology." He added that he was learning to better make use of his platform and would never disrespect family.
