Comedian and actor Vir Das has commented on the controversy surrounding ‘India’s Got Latent’, a reality competition show featuring Samay Raina as host with the judges Ranveer Allahbadia, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Makhija and Ashish Chanchlani. The controversy erupted after Allahbadia made a distasteful remark during the show, asking a female 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?” The offending comment elicited a storm of indignation, sparking complaints from several MPs, and drew the attention of a Parliamentary committee that planned to call Allahbadia to give evidence.
Vir Das Slams Mainstream Media
Although the controversy went on, Vir Das commented on humour and the place of the mass media. He stated that although an audience has the liberty to complain about comedy, artists of good standing would accept it as constructive criticism and try to improve. “A good artist will take their feedback head down, mouth shut, and maybe evolve,” he wrote. He also alevel conventional media to be ‘uninteresting’ and suggested that he was leveraging the controversy to launch attacks against the growing digital platforms which have become incredibly popular. “We are also watching a bunch of irrelevant mainstream media anchors. coming together to take down new media,” he wrote, asserting that the digital realm had far more reach and influence than traditional outlets.
Vir Das Criticizes Mainstream Media
With escalating controversy, the National Commission for Women (NCW) intervened issuing summons to Ranveer Allahbadia, Samay Raina, Apoorva Makhija, Jaspreet Singh, Ashish Chanchlani and to the show’s producers. The NCW condemned the remarks as ‘vulgar and offensive’, stating they violated the principles of dignity and respect. The commission has scheduled a hearing on February 17, demanding that all involved parties appear in person at their office in New Delhi at 12 pm.
