- Samay Raina and Sharon Verma exchanged jokes about their Bihari and Kashmiri Pandit backgrounds on Latent
- Sharon's comment referenced the Kashmiri Pandit exodus during the 1990s insurgency in Kashmir
- Social media users criticised the jokes for normalizing and mocking real tragedies and suffering
There is a fine line between comedy and insensitivity, and on the latest episode of India's Got Latent Season 2, both Samay Raina and Sharon Verma appeared to cross it, according to a section of social media users. The episode featured Orry, Archana Puran Singh, Nishant Suri, Sharon Verma, and Samay Raina himself.
In one segment, Samay and Sharon locked horns as they started joking about each other's background. Sharon hails from Bihar, while Samay Raina is a Kashmiri Pandit.
Bihari Vs Kashmiri Pandit 'Jokes' On Samay Raina's Latent 2
It started with Samay asking Sharon how she had been. The comedian joked that a couple of years ago, she came on the show as a contestant, and now she was judging other contestants, while he was still sitting in the same seat.
Hearing this, the host laughed and said that he loves everything Sharon has been doing since her appearance on Latent Season 1. He added, "Sharon is so Bihari that she thinks 'Ebola' means someone said something." The remark was a play on language and pronunciation associated with Biharis.
She then took it a step further by drawing parallels between getting high and stone-pelting in Kashmir, which has long been associated with periods of unrest in the region. The comedian replied, "Samay is so Kashmiri that he loves getting 'stoned'."
In an apparent reference to the migration of people from Bihar to Maharashtra in search of employment opportunities, Samay said, "Sharon Verma is a Bihari who came to Mumbai in search of a job, just Bihari things."
Sharon shot back saying, "At least I left my state by my choice." This was an apparent reference to the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley due to insurgency in the early 1990s.
Internet Slams Bihari Vs Kashmiri Pandit 'Jokes' On Latent 2
Responding to the clip, a social media user wrote, "How are we normalising what happened in Kashmir?"
Another wrote, "Crazy! How they normalise jokes on real issues and tragedies."
Another user wrote, "Maybe it's a joke, but this nation has endured far more than those who didn't witness it with their own eyes can understand."
A fourth commented, "This is absolutely not good. Mocking pain of thousands, wrong on both sides," adding that mocking a person because of her state and then making light of the suffering caused by the exodus is unacceptable.
Sharon's remark was viewed by some social media users as insensitive, arguing that it overlooked the experiences of families who lost their homes, loved ones, and familiar surroundings before rebuilding their lives elsewhere in India.
Time and again, comedians have sparked controversies with remarks that later prompted apologies. Recently, Pranit More's crowd-work show faced backlash after the comedian entertained a remark that appeared to equate a woman's dignity with a plate of biryani worth Rs 370.
Earlier, during the first season of India's Got Latent, Samay Raina invited Ranveer Allahbadia, who drew criticism for asking a contestant an inappropriate question about their parents' sex life. This is not the first time the show has found itself at the centre of a controversy, and it is unlikely to be the last.
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