Music composer Vishal Dadlani has reacted to the controversy surrounding comedy show India’s Got Latent and YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s remarks, calling the row “hypocritical prudish nonsense” aimed at controlling online content in India.
“Would you let #SamayRaina feel up your hairy arms every day, or join in once to stop the absolutely hypocritical prudish nonsense that's going on right now?” he wrote, alluding to Allahbadia’s infamous question on the show: “Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once and stop it forever?”.
Deemed inappropriate, Allahbadia’s comments led to widespread backlash, legal action, and the eventual removal of the show's episodes from YouTube.
Dadlani, however, suggested a deeper motive behind the controversy, hinting at government control over online content. He wrote on Instagram, “The government wanted to control online content. They've been trying and getting stopped for a long time. Our innocent/illiterate public, in this wave of TV-generated outrage, are giving away their own freedom. Not to mention… ‘what Kumbh stampede-deaths?’ Samjhe?”
Allahbadia’s remark on India’s Got Latent was met with severe criticism from the public and political figures alike. The National Commission for Women (NCW) subsequently summoned Allahbadia, Raina, and the show’s producers for questioning on February 17.
Following the backlash, Raina announced the removal of all episodes of India’s Got Latent from YouTube. Allahbadia issued a public apology on X (formerly Twitter), but the controversy continued to escalate.
Last week, Allahbadia claimed that his family members were receiving death threats, and his mother’s medical clinic was being visited by “mobs” posing as patients. He later approached the Supreme Court, seeking the clubbing of multiple FIRs filed against him across the country.
While the Supreme Court granted Allahbadia interim protection from arrest, it also barred him from airing “any show” until further orders. A two-judge bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N K Singh said, “There is something that is dirty in his mind that has been vomited by way of this programme.”
“The words you have chosen, parents will feel ashamed, daughters and sisters will feel ashamed, brothers will feel ashamed, entire society will feel ashamed, the pervert mind and the perversion you and your henchmen have exhibited,” the Supreme Court further said.
In his latest Instagram story, Dadlani also drew parallels between the deletion of India’s Got Latent videos on YouTube and the cancellation of the American variety series The Richard Pryor Show, which aired on NBC in 1977. Sharing a video on Instagram Story, Dadlani wrote, “Almost 50 years ago Richard Pryor speaks about the cancellation of his show and the very same issues we see today.”
Popular YouTuber and social commentator Dhruv Rathee had also expressed concern over the broader implications of the backlash against Allahbadia and governmental involvement in the matter.
Last year, the Modi government faced backlash for its draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill proposing regulations over digital news platforms and online content creators. Critics, including the Editors Guild of India, called it “vague and intrusive”, fearing it could lead to censorship via regulatory bodies like the Broadcast Advisory Council.
The bill also sought to regulate individual creators on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, sparking concerns over excessive control and compliance burdens. Additionally, the consultation process was criticised for being opaque and selective. Amid widespread opposition from media organisations, content creators, and civil liberties groups, the government withdrew the draft in August 2024.
