India’s Got Latent Controversy: An old video of lyricist Javed Akhtar sharing his opinion on use of cuss words in comedy has gone viral as YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia has found himself in choppy waters after his crass remarks to a contestant on comedian Samay Raina’s roast show ‘India’s Got Latent’.
Akhtar’s video is from his appearance on the Chill Sesh podcast, hosted by comedians Biswa Kalyan Rath, Sapan Verma, and Shreeja Chaturvedi. He was asked for his opinion about the latest trend of using swear words in Indian comedy.
Also Read: Ranveer Allahbadia Booked Under BNS Section 294 For ‘Sex With Parents’ Remark: What Does The Law Say On Vulgarity?
Akhtar compared the use of curse words in stand-up comedies with chilly in food. “In Odisha, Bihar and Mexico, anywhere in the world where there is poverty, people eat a lot of chilli because the food is bland. So, to add some taste, they eat chilli,” he had said.
“Gaali is like chilli of language. If you can speak good language and if you are witty enough, you don’t need the chilli,” he added.
What Is India’s Got Latent Controversy?
As a format of the roast show, Allahbadia appeared as a guest along with Ashish Chanchlani and Apoorva Makhija. In an episode which has now been taken down from YouTube, Allahbadia asked a contestant, “Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once to make it stop forever?”
As videos from the episode circulated on social media, separate FIRs were filed in Mumbai and Assam and 30 to 40 individuals associated with the show were charged. Complaints have also been filed against host Raina and Makhija.
Allahbadia, who enjoys a massive fanbase on YouTube and Instagram, has interviewed guests ranging from Bollywood to ministers like S Jaishankar, Piyush Goyal and Smriti Irani. After the controversy, singer B Praak called off an appearance on the influencer’s podcast.
