Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman alluded to the raging controversy surrounding YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia and comedian Samay Raina at the music launch event for the upcoming Vicky Kaushal-starrer period drama Chhaava on Wednesday.
When actor Vicky Kaushal asked Rahman to describe his music using three emojis, the latter made a gesture of sealing his lips and said, “This past week we have all seen what all happens when the mouth opens.”
Rahman also shared a cryptic post on Instagram later that evening. He posted a 6-second video encapsulating an Arabic proverb which said, “The mouth should have three gatekeepers. Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?”
Rahman is the latest public figure to weigh in on the controversy, which began after Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, made an alleged objectionable remark on Raina’s comedy show India’s Got Latent.
During an interaction with a contestant, he posed the question: “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 remark quickly went viral, drawing widespread criticism on social media. Several politicians also condemned the statement, calling for action against the YouTuber. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has since summoned Allahbadia, Raina, and the show’s producers for questioning on February 17.
Additionally, Assam Police have registered a case against Allahbadia and others involved in the show, including comedians Ashish Chanchlani, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Makhija, and Samay Raina.
Following the backlash, Allahbadia issued a public apology on X. “I shouldn't have said what I said on India's Got Latent. I’m sorry... My comment wasn't just inappropriate, it was not even funny. Comedy is not my forte, I am just here to say sorry,” he said.
Samay Raina also broke his silence on the controversy on Wednesday, announcing that he had removed all episodes of India’s Got Latent from his YouTube channel. “Everything that is happening has been too much for me to handle. I have removed all India's Got Latent videos from my channel. My only objective was to make people laugh and have a good time. I will fully cooperate with all agencies to ensure their inquiries are concluded fairly," Raina wrote on X.
The incident has sparked a broader debate on the boundaries of comedy and free speech, with opinions divided on whether online content should be regulated. YouTuber Dhruv Rathee weighed in on the issue on Tuesday, opining that while Allahbadia’s comments were crass, government ‘censorship’ of content should not be the way to avert such controversies in future.
