The recent controversy surrounding a joke about Deepika Padukone’s mental health on India’s Got Latent has sparked outrage online, but show creator Samay Raina seems unfazed. Despite the backlash, the comedian posted a response on social media on Monday, subtly inviting the controversy to benefit him in terms of online engagement.

Samay Raina’s Response

On Monday, Samay Raina shared a screenshot on his Instagram Stories of a Reddit notification about the controversy, which read, “Comedian’s joke on Deepika’s depression sparks outrage.” In a cheeky response, Samay asked his followers to direct their outrage in a way that could help his channel. “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 wrote, along with a link to the latest episode of India’s Got Latent, where the controversial joke had been made.

The Backlash

The joke that sparked the controversy occurred during the most recent episode of India’s Got Latent, an online talent show created by Raina. On the judges’ panel, which included Tanmay Bhat, Raghu Ram, Dr. Sid Warrier, and Balraj Singh Ghai, a contestant named Bunty Banerjee remarked on Deepika Padukone’s recent experience of motherhood. Referring to Deepika’s past struggles with depression, Banerjee joked, “Deepika Padukone also became a mother recently, right? Great, now she knows what depression really looks like.” The joke was met with laughter from the panel, including Raina.

However, the response online was largely negative. Critics argued that the joke trivialized mental health issues, especially depression, by making light of a serious condition. 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.” Others criticized the panel’s reaction, accusing them of endorsing harmful stereotypes. “As much hilarious as 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?),” one comment read.

Despite the growing criticism, Samay Raina’s tongue-in-cheek response to the backlash suggests that the controversy may only be adding to the show’s visibility, raising questions about the intersection of comedy, controversy, and online engagement.