Comedian Tanmay Bhat has addressed the controversy surrounding Samay Raina’s YouTube show, India’s Got Latent, which has been under scrutiny after YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia made an inappropriate remark on the platform. Raina, who has often been associated with Bhat as a mentor figure, faced legal trouble and criticism following the incident.
Bhat, known for his weekly meme reaction videos on YouTube, was recently asked by a fan why he had not publicly supported Raina and Allahbadia the backlash. Responding with sarcasm, he said, “How come these people are not taking a stand for everything that’s happening?” Fellow comedian and AIB alum Rohan Joshi, who was present during the discussion, added, “We are here doing our job. What more stand do you need?”
Comedian Kaustubh jokingly referred to Bhat as Raina’s mentor, saying, “Aapko bol rahe hain. Aap the uske godfather (They are asking you because you were his godfather).” Another panellist, Piyush Sharma, joined in, referencing Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan, saying, “They are expecting that Tanmay will say, ‘Bete se pehle baap ke through jaana hoga’ (You have to go through the father before the son).”
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Reflecting on his own past controversies, Bhat compared the situation to the backlash he faced following the infamous AIB Roast of Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor in 2015. He remarked, “Whenever someone in your family falls sick with a rare illness, you remember an uncle who had the same condition seven years ago and call him to ask about it. I am comedy’s patient zero.”
The India’s Got Latent Controversy
Created by comedian Samay Raina, India’s Got Latent was a YouTube-based talent show where contestants performed in front of a panel of judges, including comedians, content creators, and actors. However, controversy erupted after Ranveer Allahbadia asked a participant an inappropriate question about their parents, leading to widespread outrage.
The remark triggered multiple FIRs against both Allahbadia and Raina for alleged obscenity, prompting Raina to delete all episodes of the show from YouTube. The incident has since sparked debate about the boundaries of comedy and accountability in digital content creation.
Despite the controversy, Bhat has maintained a neutral stance, addressing the situation with humour while refraining from directly defending anyone involved.