YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, aka BeerBiceps, was under fire on social media and landed in legal trouble for making ‘inappropriate’ jokes and remarks during his appearance on Samay Raina’s show India’s Got Latent. “Shame on you, Ranveer bhai… you lost my respect,” commented a user on Allahbadia’s latest Instagram post. The comment received 700 likes. Such is the state of his comment section right now. A content creator and podcaster with millions of followers online, now Ranveer, is facing a wave of anger from the ‘disappointed’ masses.
FIR Against Ranveer Allahbadia & Samay Raina | India’s Got Latent Controversy
Why In News
- YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, aka BeerBiceps, was under fire on social media and landed in legal trouble for making ‘inappropriate’ jokes and remarks during his appearance on Samay Raina’s show India’s Got Latent.
- “Shame on you, Ranveer bhai… you lost my respect,” commented a user on Allahbadia’s latest Instagram post. The comment received 700 likes. Such is the state of his comment section right now. A content creator and podcaster with millions of followers online, now Ranveer, is facing a wave of anger from the ‘disappointed’ masses.
Ranveer Allahbadia
- Ranveer is an “entrepreneur” and a promoter of “peace & growth”. He is often seen sharing content on spirituality, politics, relationships, etc and has taken interviews of various Bollywood celebrities and politicians, but things took a drastic turn overnight for him and a few others after a clip from Samay Raina’s show India’s Got Latent went viral.
What Happened
- The clip that sparked the outrage was a video that landed him in trouble – both legally and online. At that moment, Ranveer appeared somewhat proud of himself for making the ‘joke’ while the audience and panel laughed along in the video, but as the episode went up, not everyone seemed to be laughing about it.
Apology And The FIRs
- Soon the backlash intensified, and a complaint was filed against Ranveer Allahbadia for “promoting obscenity” and using offensive language. The complaint was submitted to the Mumbai Police Commissioner and the National Commission for Women, following which the Mumbai Police initiated an inquiry and registered an FIR – not just against Ranveer but also against social media influencer Apoorva Makhija (who was also part of the show) and comedian Samay Raina himself.
- Furthermore, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis commented on Monday that while freedom of speech exists in the country, it ends when it “encroaches upon the freedom of others”.
- “I have come to know about it. I haven’t seen it yet. Things have been said and presented in the wrong way. Everyone has freedom of speech, but our freedom ends when we encroach upon the freedom of others… In our society, we have certain rules, and if someone violates them, it is absolutely wrong, and action should be taken against them,” Fadnavis told reporters.
- Shortly after the video went viral, Ranveer took to Twitter (X) to apologise, stating that he is “not a comic” and that he never intended to disrespect anyone. But here’s the thing, while Ranveer holds significant influence over his audience, his apology doesn’t seem to be working. A quick look at the comment section reveals a common sentiment: his content doesn’t align with the ‘joke’ he made.
What Else
- This isn’t the first time Samay Raina’s show has landed in trouble. In fact, India’s Got Latent often faces criticism online, and sometimes, the consequences go beyond just social media outrage.
- The most recent one was on February 5. An FIR was filed against Jessy Nabam, a contestant on India’s Got Latent, for making controversial remarks about eating dog meat. Nabam claimed that people from Arunachal Pradesh commonly consume dog meat and sometimes even eat their pets.
- Tinkesh Kaushik, the world’s first triple amputee to trek Everest Base Camp, also criticised the show for its content. “Disrespecting people with disabilities is not dark humour,” Kaushik told India Today. He had previously called out Samay Raina when one of the contestants made fun of people with disabilities, and the judges—including Raina—were seen laughing.
Where Do You Draw The Line
- While one section of the audience is outraged over the ‘inappropriate’ and ‘vulgar’ jokes made on the show—often calling for a ban—another section argues that Samay and his show represent dark humour.
- Is everything fair in the name of humour? There are two sides to this—some believe that making harsh jokes about someone’s appearance or disability is just dark humour, while others worry about the moral values these shows promote. Even experts often find these ‘lines’ blurred and confusing.
- Supporters of the show also argue that “not everyone gets dark humour” and that his jokes are a reflection of free speech.
- There is no denying that India’s Got Latent has a massive fanbase, spanning all age groups. Among them, Gen Z, in particular, seems to love Samay and his brand of ‘dark humour’.
- Punit Chawla*, a 25-year-old techie and a subscriber of the show, told India Today, “We have free speech, and if someone wants to make a joke about something, they should be allowed to. Going to jail over a joke is too much.”
- Meanwhile, another viral DM exchange shows Samay saying, “Comedy’s purpose is not to be a moral science lecture. Comedy has no responsibility. Comedy is comedy. Comedy is meant to take you away from reality and make you laugh.”
Legal Perspective
- if you’re wondering where Indian law stands on this matter and how much legal trouble Ranveer and Samay might be in, let’s take a look.
- In India, obscenity laws attempt to balance freedom of speech (guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution) with societal standards of decency and morality. While the Constitution protects free expression, it also allows for reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order and morality.
- A similar case occurred in 2015 with All India Bakchod (AIB) when they were booked on obscenity charges for their infamous roast. The Mumbai Police registered a case against them for the show’s “obscene” content, leading to its eventual shutdown.
National Human Rights Commission
- Amid a row over YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s obscene remarks on India’s Got Latent’ show, the National Human Rights Commission has written a letter to the video streaming platform, seeking the removal of the videos with the YouTuber’s jokes. “The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is mandated and entrusted with the responsibility of Protecting and promoting human rights of all including women and children under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.”
- The human rights body, in its letter, said that it had received a complaint from Yogendra Singh Thakur, who alleged that the YouTube show hosted by comedian Samay Raina contained “highly objectionable, inappropriate, and obscene remarks about Indian society.”
