A segment from the latest season has triggered a wider discussion about humour, public reactions and the treatment of regional identities in entertainment.
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India’s Got Latent Season 2 under fire (PC: Twitter)
Samay Raina’s India’s Got Latent has once again become a talking point after a recent episode drew criticism over jokes linked to Bihari and Kashmiri identitiesThe episode had generated considerable interest because of its guest lineup, which included Orry, Archana Puran Singh, Sharon Verma and Nishant SuriWhat began as casual banter between Samay and Sharon quickly became a wider debate onlineSeveral viewers questioned whether the jokes crossed a line while political reactions added another layer to the controversyThe latest row has also brought renewed attention to the boundaries of comedy and the responsibility that comes with making jokes about communities and sensitive subjects.
What happened between Samay Raina and Sharon Verma?
During the episode, Samay and Sharon exchanged jokes about each other’s regional backgroundsSamay told Sharon, “She is so Bihari, she thinks Ebola means someone said something.” Sharon responded with a remark about Samay being Kashmiri and said, “Samay is so Kashmiri he loves getting stoned.”
The exchange continued when Samay joked that Sharon was a Bihari who had moved to Mumbai looking for a jobHe ended the remark by referring to it as “Just Bihari things.” Sharon then responded, “At least I left my state by my choice,” a line that was widely understood as a reference to the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from KashmirThe comments reportedly drew laughter from the panel and audience during the recordingHowever, reactions outside the show were far more divided.
I donno know about you, but I feel uncomfortable when both are just making fun of the miseries of the two states.
This is just normalising trauma under the label of “dark comedy.”
Samay: “She’s so Bihari she thinks Ebola means someone said something.”
Sharon: “Samay is so… pic.twitter.com/g3wBObwkZx— S Kumar (@SKumararchives) August 28, 2026
Ram Kadam reacts to the controversy
BJP leader Ram Kadam criticised the remarks while speaking to IANSHe argued that certain controversial statements are made deliberately to attract attention and publicityKadam said, “We need to understand that the deities of Sanatan Hinduism and Kashmiri Pandits cannot be treated as subjects of ridiculeSomeone cannot deliberately do something offensive and then simply apologise afterwardsIn the meantime, they get the publicity they wanted across the country for free.”
Mumbai, Maharashtra: On comedian Samay Raina’s alleged remarks about Biharis and Kashmiri Pandits during his show, BJP MLA Ram Kadam says, “There are certain forces in society that deliberately make controversial statements simply to gain publicityTheir sole objective is to… pic.twitter.com/rhwV8Vn9hS
— IANS (@ians_india) August 29, 2026
Mithilesh Tiwari also responds
Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari also expressed his disapprovalHe said that derogatory comments against any citizen should not be accepted and stressed the importance of equality.
Tiwari said, “Any derogatory remark against any citizen of our country is unacceptableThose who make such remarks are talking about breaking the countryWe are people who dream of an Akhand Bharat, and for us, the king and the commoner are equal.” He further said there should be no discrimination on the basis of caste or creed.
India’s Got Latent has faced controversies before
The latest dispute is not the first controversy surrounding India’s Got LatentThe show previously faced major backlash following remarks made by Ranveer Allahbadia during an episode in February 2025The controversy resulted in widespread criticism, police complaints and legal proceedingsSamay Raina later made earlier episodes private while the matter was being investigated.
The show has also faced criticism over jokes concerning disability and other sensitive subjectsIn 2026, its second season continued to attract attention for pushing the boundaries of comedy.
