Mumbai: Days after he sparked controversy with a comment about parents and sex on India’s Got Latent, many top celebrities have reacted to YouTuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia’s statement.
Notably, the internet personality, who has over 16 million followers across social media platforms, landed in trouble after a clip of his comments began circulating on social media. During the show, Ranveer asked a contestant, “Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once and stop it forever?”
Here’s how top celebrities reacted:
In an interview with Instant Bollywood, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali and actor Manoj Bajpayee weighed in on the issue.
“I feel people should do what they enjoy doing. Obscenity is a subject that looks bad, and anybody would agree. But people are immature, so their mistakes should also not be taken seriously,” Ali said.
Bajpayee said those achieving success at a young age should understand the environment.
“This is why I say, please read the newspaper,” he added.
Veteran actor Raza Murad said, “Some people say such vulgar things, some people abuse, and there is no restriction on them yet. But anyway, better late than never. I would like to say that democracy does not mean spreading vulgarity. Our constitution does not allow this.”
Mukesh Khanna called Allahbadia’s remark “vulgar and irresponsible.”
“The problem is, the youth of today have been given too much liberty in the name of ‘freedom of expression.’ There needs to be a limit to everything, even freedom of expression… I saw the video. He made a shameful statement, and everyone around him laughed. Nobody objected,” said Khanna, known for his role as superhero Shaktimaan, on his YouTube channel.
Singer B Praak also took a stand against Allahbadia, announcing that he had cancelled his upcoming podcast with him. In an Instagram video, which was deleted later, the Mann Bharrya singer criticized the content shared on Samay Raina’s show.
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“I was about to go for a podcast on BeerBiceps, and we cancelled that because of the kind of pathetic thinking and the kind of words used on Samay Raina’s show. This is not our Indian culture. What kind of things are you sharing about your parents? Is this comedy? This is not at all comedy. This cannot be stand-up comedy. Teaching people cuss words! I do not understand what generation this is,” he said.
He further questioned a Sikh participant on the show, stating, “A Sardarji also comes on the show. Sardarji, you know you are a Sikh—do these things look good? What kind of teachings are you giving? He even puts clips on his Instagram, saying, ‘Yes, I abuse. What is the problem with that?’ Well, we do have a problem with that.”
Veteran actor Annu Kapoor also weighed in on the controversy. Speaking to IANS, he said that those with the authority to take legal action should do so.
When asked about the increasing presence of vulgar content in comedy shows, Kapoor remarked, “The people working in OTT are the same people who were restrained on television. They are well aware of what the audience wants. If you want vulgarity, they are ready to serve it to you. It is all about demand and supply. There will not be even one per cent of people who do not like such content.”
Among the many voices criticising Allahbadia and Raina, a few came out in their support.
In an Instagram story, fashion influencer Uorfi Javed said it is unfair to demand that someone be jailed for their comments, however distasteful they may be.
Javed, who has appeared on India’s Got Latent, famously walked out of the show midway due to a comment by a contestant.
“Samay is a friend; I have his back. The rest of the people on the panel said something distasteful, yes, but I don’t think they deserve to go to jail for that,” she said.
Actor Rakhi Sawant also defended Allahbadia, asking the public to forgive him for his mistake.
Amid the controversy, Raina has yet to publicly comment on the episode and is currently in the U.S. for his comedy tour.
PNN & Agencies
