Ranveer Allahbadia Controversy: Dhruv Rathee slams India’s Got Latent, calls it ’pure nonsense’ in name of ’dank comedy’

YouTuber Dhruv Rathee joined the India's Got Latent controversy on Monday evening — contending that the show was ‘contributing the moral decay of society’. He also insisted that content creators had not resorted to “pure nonsense” in the name of “dank comedy” in a bid to secure views. Rathee however insisted that overarching government control could worsen the situation by ushering in a “harsh censorship regime”.

“What is being done today in the name of dank comedy is pure nonsense. The only purpose is to shock and disgust audiences for views, which is having a disastrous impact on the moral development of our youth. However, calling for any government bans for this is not the solution as it may usher in a harsh censorship regime. Instead, we need to pressurize content creators to make better content,” he wrote on X.

Popular YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia faced widespread condemnation on Monday as an ‘obscene’ joke went viral. The remarks were made during a recent episode of the Samay Raina-led India's Got Latent show and have since prompted a police complaint against the influencer.

Rathee also likened the show to Ranbir Kapoor starrer Animal — insisting that both had “the same impact on moral decay of society”. The comments have also prompted backlash from politicians across party lines — including the Shiv Sena and the BJP. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also reiterated the need to exercise freedom of speech without encroaching on the rights of others.

Ranveer Allahbadia issues apology

The popular influencer issued an apology for his controversial comment on Monday — describing the entire episode as a “lapse in judgment”. He also claimed that comedy was not his forte and reiterated the “need to use this platform better”.

“Many of you asked if this how I wish to use my platform. Obviously, this is not how I wish to use my platform. I am not going to give any context, justification or reasoning behind whatever happened. I am just here for an apology. I, personally, had a lapse in judgement. It wasn't cool on my part,” he said in a video message.

(With inputs from agencies)