Comedian Munawar Faruqui has jumped to the defense of his friend Samay Raina in the midst of controversy over India’s Got Latent. Posting on Instagram, Munawar posted a story with a word of encouragement for Samay. He wrote, “Samay (kissing emoji). Art joh hai woh spring ki hai, jitnaa dabaoge utnaa upeer uthega.”. (Art is similar to spring the more you repress it, the more it will rise). My G is going to emerge so powerful you will notice.” His tweet has also gone viral, with people debating online.
Also Read: Controversy erupts! Kashish Kapoor defends Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina- But is she right?
Samay Raina Cancels Gujarat Shows
In the meantime, there are reports that Samay Raina has canceled his series of stand-up comedy performances in Gujarat. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) stated that Raina had initially planned four shows in the state Surat on April 17, Vadodara on April 18, and Ahmedabad on April 19 and 20. The criticism against India’s Got Latent appears to have resulted in the shows being canceled, though. VHP spokesman Hitendrasinh Rajput claimed that tickets for these shows were listed on BookMyShow until Wednesday morning but have now been taken off.
The Offending Comment
Controversy started over India’s Got Latent after podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia uttered a very offensive comment on the show.
Ranveer asked a disturbing question in a viral clip to a contestant: “Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once and stop it forever? ” The question was severely criticized as being offensive and vulgar, eliciting a negative reaction from the public, celebrities, as well as political leaders.
Growing Backlash and FIRs
In the wake of the furore, several FIRs have been registered against Ranveer Allahbadia, and various organizations such as the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) have called for a ban on India’s Got Latent. Even with the mounting criticism, however, several people have also defended Samay Raina and the show’s freedom of expression, saying that the response has been disproportionate.
