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Last Updated: February 11, 2025, 18:00 IST
Controversy Arises Over India’s Got Latent After FIR Filed for Obscenity
The widely viewed YouTube series, India’s Got Latent, hosted by comedian Samay Raina, has found itself in legal trouble following a controversial episode featuring notable content creators such as Ranveer Allahbadia, Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, and Apoorva Makhija. The Guwahati Police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the host and judges, alleging that the show promotes obscenity and sexually explicit content. The backlash originated from an inappropriate comment made by Allahbadia during the episode, which garnered substantial criticism from both public figures and regular viewers online.
Javed Akhtar, an esteemed lyricist with a penchant for addressing contemporary issues, has not yet commented on this specific controversy. Nonetheless, an old interview where he discusses the use of profane language in comedy has resurfaced on social media. In a past visit to comedian Sapan Verma’s YouTube platform, Chill Sesh, Akhtar tackled a question posed by comedian Biswa Kalyan Rath regarding the acceptability of using obscenities in comedic performances.
In that appearance, Akhtar remarked, “Orissa, Bihar, Mexico, or anywhere in the world where there is poverty, people eat a lot of chilli, because the food is bland. So just to get some taste, they eat chilli. Abuses are the chilli of language. If you can speak good language, and if you are witty enough, you don’t need this chilli. If the conversation is bland, one tends to put abuse in it, just to give it some energy.” His words highlight a complex discussion surrounding humor and the necessity—or lack thereof—of profanity in comedic expression.
The legal action taken by the Guwahati Police includes multiple charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), specifically targeting Raina and the judges of India’s Got Latent. The FIR explicitly names Chanchlani, Singh, Makhija, Allahbadia, Raina, and others, claiming that they participated in discussions that were sexually explicit and vulgar in nature.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma publicly confirmed the filing of the FIR, stating, “Today Guwahati Police has registered an FIR against certain YouTubers and social influencers, namely Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Makhija, Ranveer Allahbadia, Samay Raina and others for promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit and vulgar discussion in a show titled India’s Got Latent.” This incident brings to the forefront pressing issues surrounding content moderation and the responsibilities of creators in the digital landscape.
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