3 days ago
Latent 2 Draws Backlash as Samay Raina Highlights Record Views
A comedy show episode has caused an argument because some jokes referred to Bihari people and Kashmiri Pandits.
The jokes were made during a conversation between comedians Samay Raina and Sharon Verma.
Some viewers felt the jokes were hurtful and inappropriate.
One remark appeared to refer to Kashmiri Pandits leaving the Valley during unrest in the early 1990s.
Another referred to people from Bihar moving to Mumbai for work.
Amid the criticism, Samay shared a picture showing the episode’s view count.
The picture said the episode had received 31.9 million views.
That was higher than the other nine episodes listed.
The large number of views does not settle the debate about whether the jokes were acceptable.
The latest India’s Got Latent 2 episode reportedly reached 31.9 million views, according to a screenshot shared by Samay Raina.
The episode became the most-watched among the show’s previous 10 episodes, based on the figures shown.
The controversy centers on jokes involving Bihari identity and Kashmiri Pandit displacement during an exchange between Samay Raina and Sharon Verma.
Critics online questioned how the remarks about regional and community experiences were being normalized.
Raina shared the viewership screenshot on Instagram while Eminem’s “The Way I Am” played in the background.
- Who
- Comedians Samay Raina and Sharon Verma were involved in the disputed exchange; the episode also featured Orry, Archana Puran Singh, Nishant Suri, and Sharon Verma.
- What
- India’s Got Latent 2 faced backlash over jokes about Bihari identity and Kashmiri Pandit displacement, while Raina highlighted reported record viewership.
- Where
- The remarks were made on India’s Got Latent 2; the referenced displacement involved the Kashmir Valley, and the viewership screenshot was shared on Instagram.
- When
- The controversy followed the latest episode; the article does not provide a specific broadcast date.
- Why
- Critics objected to jokes that appeared to draw on stereotypes, migration from Bihar, and the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits.
Critics of the jokes
Viewership-focused response
Use of community references
Critics of the jokes
Critics said the Bihari and Kashmiri Pandit references relied on hurtful stereotypes and sensitive historical experiences.
Viewership-focused response
The article does not report a direct defense from Samay Raina or the show, but Raina drew attention to the episode’s high reported viewership.
Meaning of the Kashmiri Pandit remark
Critics of the jokes
Critics interpreted Sharon Verma’s remark as referring to the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley during the early-1990s insurgency.
Viewership-focused response
The exchange was presented within a comedic segment in which Raina and Verma joked about each other’s backgrounds.
Key facts
- Reported views
- 31.9 million for the latest episode, according to the screenshot shared by Samay Raina.
- Comparison
- The next four listed episodes had 28.6 million, 22 million, 19.4 million, and 19 million views.
- Show
- India’s Got Latent 2.
- Disputed remarks
- The exchange included references to Bihari stereotypes, Kashmir-related stone-pelting, and Kashmiri Pandit migration.
- Platform for screenshot
- Instagram.
- Music used
- Eminem’s “The Way I Am” played in the background of Raina’s Instagram story.
- Episode guests
- Orry, Archana Puran Singh, Nishant Suri, Sharon Verma, and Samay Raina.
Quotes
Sharon Verma
Comedian and India’s Got Latent 2 participant
“Sharon is so Bihari that she thinks 'Ebola' means someone said something.”
NDTV
“Samay is so Kashmiri that he loves getting 'stoned'.”
NDTV
Sources
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