Hyderabad: Oscar-winning composer A. R. Rahman seemingly took a dig at podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia and comedian Samay Raina amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding the YouTube show India's Got Latent. The show has been scandalous due to controversial remarks made by the two. The trouble began after Ranveer posed an indecent question to a contestant in one of the recent episodes, attracting calls for bans and FIRs with several Bollywood celebrities like Boney Kapoor, Ashoke Pandit, and Rajpal Yadav reacting strongly to it.
A. R. Rahman surprised everyone when at a recent event he took a dig at Samay and Ranveer. It all happened after actor Vicky Kaushal asked the composer to describe his music in three emojis. Rahman said, "the one with the mouth closed". He then added jokingly, "I think, past week we have seen what all happens when the mouth opens." Vicky Kaushal and others at the event were left laughing by the music maestro's humorous comment. Reacting to it Vicky Kaushal commented, "Talk about roasting".
Not just Rahman, film producer Boney Kapoor too opened up about the ongoing controversy, where he spoke about the need for 'self-censorship' and responsible speech. "What he has done is not right. There should be limitations and self-censorship. Freedom of speech does not mean speaking those things which are not socially accepted. Whatever you want to say, do it in your personal space. You need to be careful and disciplined," Boney told the media.
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit too chimed in. He lashed out at the podcaster for making an offensive joke on comedian Samay Raina's YouTube show. Speaking to a news agency, Pandit condemned Allahbadia's remarks, calling his sense of humour 'filthy' and 'objectionable' in society. "At the outset, I condemn, with all my heart, what Ranveer Allahbadia did. His sense of comedy, his filthy sense of humour, is objectionable, especially in our society, and for that matter, anywhere else," he said.
He further said: "India is a country where parents are still respected and held in very high esteem. And I'm sure he must be doing the same with his parents. Having said that, there are no two opinions when it comes to condemning his actions. This is not comedy. This is not humour. Having said that, I want to raise an issue."
"Who has given licenses to people who have promoted this culture of comedy? We are responsible for that, as is the audience. If you remember, in 2015, there was a show called AIB. When I watched that show, which featured big stars from our industry, I was shocked. Filth, dirt, abuse, bad words, accusations, making fun of people - this is not comedy. This is not humor. And one also has to reflect on why this show is such a big hit. It has broken the internet. So, all those crores of people who follow the show and have made them stars are also responsible if they believe that this humour and comedy are wrong. It is important for us, individually, to reflect on our mindset, as well as our likes and dislikes," he added.
Weighing in actor Rajpal Yadav, known for his comedic roles, expressed his displeasure with the comments made on India's Got Latent. Calling the situation 'embarrassing', he said: "It's too embarrassing to watch such videos. Our country is a country of culture. I feel ashamed when I watch such videos." Yadav further criticized the desire for 'cheap popularity' among younger generations and warned against the dangers of using art to gain fleeting fame. "What is happening in the process of getting this cheap popularity for our younger generation?" he added.
Following the massive backlash, Samay Raina took down all the videos from his India's Got Latent from YouTube. He also issued an apology to the public and promised to co-operate with all the agencies involved in the investigation.
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