India’s Got Latent Controversial Again: How Bihari-Kashmiri Banter Sparked an Identity Debate

Manoj Bajpayee addresses the Samay Raina-Sharon Verma controversy, saying humour matters but respect for identities and backgrounds remains essential.

By Hitanshi Kothari

New Delhi, August 30: Actor Manoj Bajpayee has reacted to the latest controversy surrounding comedian Samay Raina and Sharon Verma, saying humour is important in a healthy society but should always come with respect for people, their identities and where they come from.

The comments come after an episode of India’s Got Latent 2 featuring Verma sparked criticism on social media over an exchange between the two comedians that touched upon their Bihari and Kashmiri identities.

Bajpayee, who himself hails from Bihar, shared his perspective during a conversation with IANS while promoting his upcoming film Last Man in Tower, saying people should be able to laugh at themselves and each other without allowing humour to turn into disrespect.

“If it is all in jest, I actually don't mind it. We should learn to laugh at ourselves and laugh together, laugh at each other and still not be hurt and offended. So, this is what we should learn. We should have humour about ourselves, but at the same time we should have respect, not only for ourselves but also for the person that you are sitting with and where that person comes from. It's very, very important. If two people are very easy with each other, they always laugh at each other,” he said.

Manoj Bajpayee says humour is vital for a healthy society but stresses respect for people, identities and their backgrounds.

He further added, “We never got offended or hurt. But yes, there is a problem if somebody coming from somewhere becomes a problem for you or becomes a problem for the community. Then there is a problem. Till then, we should be able to laugh at each other, laugh at ourselves. That's a sign of a very healthy society.”

What Was The Controversy About?

The row sparked after an episode of India’s Got Latent 2 featuring comedian Sharon Verma was released, where an exchange between Verma and Raina drew criticism online.

During the interaction, Raina made a joke about Verma's Bihari roots, saying, “She’s so Bihari, she thinks Ebola means someone said something.”

Verma responded by taking a dig at Raina's Kashmiri identity, saying, “Samay is so Kashmiri, he loves getting stoned.”

The exchange continued when Raina referred to Verma as a Bihari who had moved to Mumbai in search of work. Verma subsequently replied, “At least I left my state by my choice.”

The remarks have since triggered criticism across social media, with some viewers arguing that jokes involving the histories and identities of different communities should be approached with greater sensitivity.