Samay Raina, the creator of India’s Got Latent, has brushed off the controversy surrounding a joke about Deepika Padukone’s depression on his show. While many have criticized both the joke and Samay’s reaction, the comedian took to social media to respond, suggesting a different approach to the outrage. On Monday, he shared a post on his Instagram Stories, inviting people to direct their anger in a way that benefits him.
Samay’s Instagram Post
In his post, Samay shared a Reddit notification titled “Comedian’s joke on Deepika’s depression sparks outrage.” He added a humorous twist by saying, “To everyone who is outraging on Twitter, one request: Could you please outrage in my YouTube comment section so I get some ad revenue from the traction, at least.” He included a link to the latest episode of India’s Got Latent, where the controversial joke was made.
The Backlash
The controversy started during a recent episode of India’s Got Latent, an online talent show created by Samay. The episode featured a judges’ panel that included Tanmay Bhat, Raghu Ram, Dr. Sid Warrier, and Balraj Singh Ghai. The panel was joined by contestant Bunty Banerjee, who made a joke about Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh’s daughter, Dua. She said, “Deepika Padukone also became a mother recently, right? Great, now she knows what depression really looks like.” The joke was met with laughter and applause from the panel.
However, many online viewers found the joke offensive, arguing that it trivialized a serious mental health issue. One Reddit user wrote, “People are finding it unfunny because it trivializes a common mental health condition and that too in a dumb way, comparing apples to oranges. It is punching down, unintelligently.” Some also criticized the judges, including Samay, for laughing at the joke. One comment on Reddit read, “As much hilarious the panel is at times, sometimes the panel has the most brain-dead takes like come on comedy ke naam pe kya kar rahe ho (what are you doing in the name of comedy).”
Despite the backlash, Samay Raina has remained unapologetic, even using the controversy to promote his YouTube channel. His response highlights the ongoing debate around comedy and its responsibility to handle sensitive topics with care.
