Jump to content

India's Got Latent

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

India's Got Latent
Genre
Inspired byKill Tony
Got Talent
Presented bySamay Raina
Country of originIndia
Original languageHindi
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes12 (+6 Bonus episodes)
Production
Production locationThe Habitat (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
EditorPratham Sagar
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time43–67 minutes
36–54 minutes (Bonus episodes)
Production companyPerception Media
Original release
NetworkYouTube, Website
Release14 June 2024 (2024-06-14) –
12 February 2025 (2025-02-12)

India's Got Latent was an Indian Hindi-language talent show hosted by Samay Raina on YouTube that provided a platform for contestants from across the country to showcase their hidden talents which were critiqued along with jokes being cracked by the panel as the contestants were cross-questioned by them.[1] The show was inspired by the international Got Talent franchise and Kill Tony, featured a wide variety of acts, including singing, dancing, magic, comedy and others.[2]

The show was called off by Raina and he made all the episodes private on YouTube on 12 February 2025 after a controversy sparked over obscene comments made by Ranveer Allahbadia and Apoorva Mukhija.

History

[edit]

India's Got Latent was launched on 14 June 2024 by Samay Raina on his YouTube channel.[3][4] The show and all its episodes were removed from YouTube on 12 February 2025, after a controversy sparked over derogatory comments made by Ranveer Allahbadia.[5]

Format

[edit]

The format of India's Got Latent follows a similar structure to other shows in the Got Talent franchise and that of Kill Tony. Contestants used to perform in front of a panel of judges, who evaluated their acts.[6]

Auditions

[edit]

The show begins with a nationwide audition process, where contestants from various cities and towns.

Winner mechanism

[edit]

The unique aspect of India's Got Latent was its contestant rating system. Before each performance, contestants rated themselves. If the average rating given by the judge panel after the performance matches the contestant's self-rating, the contestant wins.[7]

Judges and hosts

[edit]

The judging panel typically consisted of celebrities from the Indian entertainment industry. Each judge provided feedback on the performances, while the host interacted with contestants and the audience.[8]

  Host
  Guest Host
  Judge
  Guest Judge
Cast member Season 1 (2024) Ref.
Episode
1 1+ 2 2+ 3 3+ 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10+ 11
Samay Raina ●
Balraj Singh Ghai ● ●
Raftaar ● [9]
Sahil Kale ●
Arpit Bala ●
Anshu Bisht ●
Joke Singh ● ●
Karan Singh ●
Badshah (rapper) ● [10]
Siddhant Chaturvedi ●
Gursimran Khamba ●
Urfi Javed ●
Ashish Solanki ●
Yashraj ●
Avika Gor ●
Devesh Dixit ●
Shashwat Maheshwari ●
Maheep Singh ● [11]
Amit Tandon ●
Neeti Palta ●
Kunal Kamra ●
Atul Khatri ●
Vipul Goyal ●
Sonali Thakker ●
Nishant Tanwar ●
Saurabh Pandey ●
Rahgir (singer) ●
Ravi Gupta ●
Poonam Pandey ● [12][13]
Vidit Gujrathi ●
Vivek Desai ●
Sagar Shah ●
Manan Desai ●
Deepak Kalal ●
Agu Stanley Chiedozie ●
Raghu Ram ●
Tanmay Bhat ●
Dr. Sid Warrier ●
Rakhi Sawant [14]
Ravi Gupta
Yuzvendra Chahal [15][16]
Ranveer Allahbadia
Ashish Chanchalani
Apoorva Mukhija
Seedhe Maut ●
Madhur Virli ●
Kaustubh Agarwal ●
Bharti Singh ● [17]
Haarsh Limbachiyaa ●
Drew Hicks ●
Tony Kakkar ●

Note: "+" represents bonus episodes.

Famous contestants

[edit]
  • Naman Arora[18][19]
  • Keshav Jha[20]
  • Sharon Verma[21][22]
  • Santosh Patra
  • Bhavya Shah
  • Anant Upadhyay
  • Kushal Bhanushali
  • Banti Banerjee[23]

Winner

[edit]

Reception

[edit]

India's Got Latent has gained popularity for its diversity in showcasing talent from different regions of India. The show has been praised for its ability to discover unique talents that might not have been recognized in mainstream entertainment and also the amalgamation of various celebrities as judges which has proved to induce laughter and popularity.[25]

Latent was included in DNA's list of the top 5 crazy shows on YouTube in 2024.[26]

YouTube earnings

[edit]

Latent is estimated to earn over Rs. 1.5 crore per month from YouTube memberships, with additional revenue generated from in-stream advertisements on each episode.[27][better source needed]

Controversies

[edit]

Rakhi Sawant vs Maheep Singh

[edit]

Rakhi Sawant threw a chair on stage after getting into an argument with comedian Maheep Singh on India's Got Latent. Sawant also made a derogatory remark about Singh, after which he left the stage. The episode was eventually released on YouTube on New Year's Eve 2024, after undergoing the removal of the scene.[28]

Derogatory remarks against people with disabilities

[edit]

During Santosh Patra's performance in Season 1, Episode 6, the judges endorsed derogatory remarks about disabled people.[29][30]

Banti Banerjee

[edit]

Banti Banerjee was a contestant on Latent's Season 1, Episode 10. During her performance, she made several controversial remarks that were initially endorsed by the judges and audience but later sparked an online debate and outrage.

Jokes on Deepika Padukone’s depression

[edit]

During her performance, Banerjee referenced Deepika Padukone's recent experience of becoming a mother and her past struggles with depression:[31]

"Deepika Padukone also became a mother recently, right? Great. Now she knows what depression really looks like. Actual depression happens when your sleep breaks, and your kid wakes in the middle of the night at 3 am and the kid wants to eat, poop, or play, at any order." - Banerjee said in a viral clip.[32]

She also said she was intentionally mocking the actor's depression due to her breakup.[33] Latent's host Samay Raina also responded to outrage, by saying:

"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." - Raina wrote on Instagram.[34]

Derogatory remarks towards Urfi Javed

[edit]

During one of the performances on India's Got Latent, some of the contestants endorsed derogatory remarks on guest judge Urfi Javed, which included calling her a 'b*tch', comparing her with adult actress Mia Khalifa and after having a verbal altercation with her over him faking a disability, which eventually led to her walking off the show. The show's main judge Samay Raina didn't intervene and Balraj Ghai was called in to replace her for the last two performances.[35]

Derogatory remarks against people of Arunachal Pradesh

[edit]

The Bonus Episode 5, which debuted in June 2024, faced criticism over racist comments made about Arunachal Pradesh. Contestant Jessy Nabam, a native of the state, joked that her people consume dog meat, and sometimes even their own pets. This remark prompted a resident of Arunachal Pradesh to file a complaint, reportedly leading to an FIR being registered, which termed her comments as derogatory and defamatory towards the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh.[36]

Derogatory remarks against people of Kerala

[edit]

Comedian Jaspreet Singh has sparked significant outrage with a racist joke about Kerala, drawing sharp criticism from Malayalis across social media. This incident has since gained momentum, with many condemning the joke as offensive and derogatory to Kerala's literacy.[37]

Offensive remarks by Ranveer Allahbadia and removal of the show

[edit]

On 10 February 2025, podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, appeared as a guest judge in the shows Bonus Episode 6 alongside YouTuber Ashish Chanchlani, social media influencer Apoorva Mukhija, and Jaspreet Singh.[38] During the episode, Allahbadia made a remark that sparked widespread controversy. He asked the following question to a contestant:

Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once to make it stop forever?[39]

The remark led to significant backlash on social media. A police complaint was filed against Allahbadia for "promoting obscenity" and using offensive language. The complaint was submitted to the Mumbai Police Commissioner and the National Commission for Women, which led to an inquiry and the registration of an FIR against Allahbadia, as well as Apoorva Mukhija and comedian Samay Raina.[40]

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis commented on the incident, stating,

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,[41]

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also announced that an FIR had been filed by the Guwahati police against the individuals involved in the incident for promoting obscenity and engaging in inappropriate discussions.[42]

On February 10, 2025, Allahbadia issued a video in which he stated that the controversial segments had been removed from the show, acknowledging that the attempt at humor was not well received.[43] On February 12, 2025, Samay Raina removed all episodes of India's Got Latent from his YouTube channel, stating that he would fully cooperate with the authorities to ensure a fair inquiry.[44]

Following this, the Maharashtra Police filled a complaint against Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia for "creating obscene content" and airing it on the shows YouTube channel.[45][46][47]

Apoorva Mukhija reported on social media about receiving threats of being raped & murdered on her social media accounts due to her presence at that episode.[48][49] She was dropped from the list of guests for the International Indian Film Academy awards in Jaipur after the Karni Sena publicly declared it's intention to physically assault her in protest of her actions if she arrived in the state.[50]

A Hindu right-wing vigilante outfit in Gwalior issued a bounty of INR 1,00,000 (US$1153 at that time) for violently assaulting Allahbadia.[51]

The entire controversy around Allahbadia's comments was fanned by the India's pro-government right-wing media outlets into a moral panic about Gen-Z Indian youth being corrupted by decadant Western values via social media,[52] as it appeared that Allahbadia had copied that infamous joke from an Australian YouTube channel called The OG Crew where the same joke was cracked by an Australian stand-up comedian called Sammy Walsh to a man called Alan Fang 2 weeks before Allahbadia did it.[53][54] Newslaundry opines that the entire controversy is being overhyped by the pro-government media due to the following reasons[55]

  1. To distract people from failures of the government like the 2025 Prayagraj Maha Kumbh crowd rush & resignation of N. Biren Singh over deadly ethnic clashes in Manipur.
  2. Competition between mainstream media & social media for influence
  3. Utilising this incident as a springboard to argue for internet censorship in the country.

On 14 February 2025, a parliamentary committee wrote to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting seeking laws to regulate digital content like podcasts & OTTs in the light of this incident.[56]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kumar, Aakash (2 October 2024). "India's Got Latent Episode 7 Release Time: Here's When The New Episode Will Premiere On YouTube; DEETS". filmibeat.com. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  2. ^ India's Got Latent. Retrieved 10 November 2024 – via trakt.tv.
  3. ^ Sanzgiri, Shantanu (25 June 2024). "'I Want To Level Up': Samay Raina On His Latest Project 'India's Got Latent' & Pushing The Envelope With His Comedy - DeadAnt". deadant.co. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  4. ^ Kumar, Aakash (2 October 2024). "India's Got Latent Episode 7 Release Date: When & Where To Watch Samay Raina Show New Episode Online?". filmibeat.com. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  5. ^ "Comedian Deletes All 'India's Got Latent' Videos Amid Ranveer Allahbadia Row". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  6. ^ "India's Got Latent (2024) - Comedy Show by Samay Raina | BrownPant". Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  7. ^ Bhatia, Yash. "From Spinny to POP: Brands embrace Samay Raina's 'India's Got Latent'". www.afaqs.com. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  8. ^ Paul, Iraa (12 November 2024). "Who is Samay Raina? Standup comedian making waves because of India's Got Latent". Indiatimes. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  9. ^ Sikha, Bunti (31 July 2024). "RAFTAAR TO APPEAR IN INDIA'S GOT LATENT AS A JUDGE - Desi Rap Network". Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  10. ^ Karki, Manisha (30 August 2024). "Rapper Badshah Takes Dig At Comedian Samay Raina's Show India's Got Latent: 'Downfall Is Real'". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Rakhi and Maheep Singh's Heated Argument Turns Ugly; Hurls Chair in Fiery Clash". The Times of India. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Poonam Pandey surprises fans with her sense of humour on India's Got Latent; netizens say, 'What a Sport'". India Forums. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  13. ^ Sagar, Aditya (15 October 2024). "Watch: Poonam Pandey joins Samay Raina on India's Got Latent and the internet is going wild". Indiatimes. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  14. ^ Sharma, Dishya (8 October 2024). "Rakhi Sawant Gets Into Argument With India's Got Latent Co-Judge, Throws Chair On Stage". News18 India. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  15. ^ Mukhopadhyay, Sounak (7 November 2024). "Video, pics from Samay Raina's unreleased YouTube show get leaked; cricketer seen as judge on India's Got Latent". LiveMint. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  16. ^ Prajapati, Siddhika (8 November 2024). "Samay Raina Roasts Yuzvendra Chahal: A Hilarious Twist on India's Got Latent". myKhel.com. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  17. ^ Sharma, Riya (9 December 2024). "'Haarsh Limbachiyaa overshadowed Samay Raina', say fans after 'best episode' of India's Got Latent". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  18. ^ T, Sachin (28 August 2024). "Who Is Naman Arora? All About Viral India's Got Latent Comedian Who Acted In Varun Dhawan-Starrer Jug Jugg Jeeyo". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  19. ^ "सोशल लिस्ट : India's Got Latent से वायरल हुए नमन अरोड़ा के किन पुराने वीडियोज को खोज लाए लोग?". The Lallantop (in Hindi). 3 September 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  20. ^ "सोशल लिस्ट: समय रैना के शो से फेमस हुए केशव झा क्यों हुए ट्रोल?". The Lallantop (in Hindi). 15 October 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Comedian goes viral for sharing hilarious reason why she's a 'weak independent woman' on Samay Raina's 'India's Got Latent'". The Indian Express. 16 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  22. ^ Kakani, Krishna (19 September 2024). "'Weak, Independent Woman': This Bihar Comedian's Relatability is Off the Charts". Times Now. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  23. ^ "After mocking Deepika Padukone's depression battle, 'India's Got Latent' contestant's joke on Kolkata's rape-murder case sparks outrage: 'Appalling'". The Indian Express. 20 November 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  24. ^ Praharaj, Mansi (10 October 2024). "Samay Raina's 'India's Got Latent' winner takes home a Spinny car". Business News This Week. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  25. ^ Agarwal, Varsha (11 November 2024). "'He has a peculiar...': Rohit Shetty decodes how India's Got Latent's Samay Raina a cut above the rest". DNA India. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  26. ^ Jaiman, Harshvardhan (8 October 2024). "5 crazy shows on India YouTube". DNA India. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  27. ^ Satija, Garima (4 November 2024). "Is Samay Raina earning Rs 1.5 crores per month from India's Got Latent? Fans say he deserves it". Indiatimes. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  28. ^ "Rakhi Sawant's Angry Outburst: Actress Throws Chair on India's Got Latent Stage After Heated Argument with Maheep Singh". Lokmat Times. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  29. ^ "India's Got Latent के 5 कॉमेडियन को नोटिस, शो में दिव्यांग के मजाक उड़ाने का लगाया आरोप | defamation notice to 5 comedians of Indias got Latent for making fun of disabled people". Patrika News (in Hindi). 23 September 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  30. ^ "It's not humour, it's hate: Amputee Tinkesh Kaushik blasts comedian Samay Raina". The Times of India. 21 September 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  31. ^ "India's Got Latent contestant jokes on Deepika Padukone's depression battle, triggers outrage: 'Not cool'". The Indian Express. 18 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  32. ^ Mittal, Nidhi (18 November 2024). "India's Got Latent contestant jokes 'Deepika Padukone Depression', mixed reactions from fans". India TV. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  33. ^ Mathur, Abhimanyu (18 November 2024). "India's Got Latent contestant mocks Deepika Padukone's depression as Samay Raina, Tanmay Bhat laugh; angry fans react". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  34. ^ Ruchita (19 November 2024). ""Outrage on YouTube so I get some...": Samay Raina reacts to joke on Deepika Padukone's depression; trolled". www.ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  35. ^ Rajguru, Sumit (28 December 2024). "Urfi Javed Walks Out Of Samay Raina's India's Got Latent After Being Compared With Adult Star By Contestant". Times Now. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  36. ^ Sinha, Ashana. "Samay Raina's India's Got Latent Gets Into Legal Trouble, FIR Filed Over A Contestant's Controversial Comments News24 -". News24. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  37. ^ "Racist accent joke on Keralites triggers criticism against Samay Raina's 'India's Got Latent' show". Telangana Today. 9 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  38. ^ "India's Got Latent episode with Ranveer Allahbadia's 'obscene and perverse comments' 'deleted': Government order or …". Times of India. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  39. ^ "Ranveer Allahbadia controversy: When does a joke stop being funny?". India Today. 10 February 2025. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
  40. ^ "Trouble mounts for Ranveer Allahbadia & others linked to Samay Raina's show: Top developments". The Times of India. 11 February 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  41. ^ TOI Tech Desk (10 February 2025). "Maharashtra CM ... on Ranveer Allahbadia: Freedom of Speech Sab Ke Liye Hai, Lekin". Times of India. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  42. ^ "Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announces FIR against YouTubers, influencers for obscenity on India's Got Latent". The Economic Times. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  43. ^ "Ranveer Allahbadia apologises for 'India's Got Latent' row: 'Shouldn't have said what I said'". Hindustan Times. 10 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  44. ^ "Samay Raina deletes all videos of controversial show India's Got Latent, says 'only objective was to make people laugh'". The Indian Express. 13 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  45. ^ "Ranveer Allahbadia Controversy Deepens as Police Charge Comedian Samay Raina Over 'India's Got Latent' Episode". Bru Times News.
  46. ^ "Amid backlash, Ranveer Allahbadia loses followers; Gaurav Taneja claims 'Samay Raina won't stop till he gets YouTube India cancelled'". The Times of India. 12 February 2025.
  47. ^ "Akansha Ranjan Kapoor Defends Samay Raina Amid Ranveer Allahbadia's Controversial IGL Episode". Times Now. 12 February 2025.
  48. ^ Livemint (15 February 2025). "Apoorva Mukhija gets death threats amid India's Got Latent and Ranveer Allahbadia controversy | Mint". mint. Archived from the original on 15 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  49. ^ "Apoorva Mukhija getting rape & death threats, claims friend". Hindustan Times. 15 February 2025.
  50. ^ "India's Got Latent row: Apoorva Mukhija dropped from IIFA event in Rajasthan after Karni Sena's threat". Hindustan Times. 15 February 2025. Archived from the original on 15 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  51. ^ "Rs 1 lakh bounty for attacking Ranveer Allahbadia, announces Hindutva outfit". India Today. 13 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  52. ^ Begam, Amana (14 February 2025). "Moral panic over Ranveer Allahbadia comes from India's family hierarchy". ThePrint. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  53. ^ "Ranveer Allahbadia's 'Sex with parents' question on Samay Raina's 'India's Got Latent' was copied: Here is the original". Hindustan Times.
  54. ^ "Even the obscene joke was copied: Internet digs out video to slam Ranveer Allahbadia". India Today. 10 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  55. ^ newslaundry (14 February 2025). The TRP Mafia Is Scared of YouTubers – Here’s the Proof! BeerBiceps controversy | TV Newsance 286. Retrieved 18 February 2025 – via YouTube.
  56. ^ "Ranveer Allahbadia row: MPs urge government to regulate OTT, social media". India Today. 14 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=India%27s_Got_Latent&oldid=1276721450"