Comedian Harsh Gujral has taken down all episodes of his YouTube show ‘The Escape Room’ in response to the ongoing controversy surrounding Samay Raina’s show ‘India’s Got Latent’. The controversy erupted after YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, also known as BeerBiceps, made a distasteful and immoral joke about parents and sex during an episode of ‘India’s Got Latent’, which went viral and offended many viewers.
The remark led to multiple FIRs being filed against Allahbadia and other individuals involved with the show. In a move of caution, Harsh Gujral decided to remove all episodes of ‘The Escape Room’, which featured dark humour and explicit content. The show, which premiered in December last year, had only two episodes uploaded before they were taken down. Clips from the episodes had already gone viral on social media.
*About ‘The Escape Room’*
‘The Escape Room’ saw contestants anonymously share startling secrets, which were then discussed and made fun of by a panel of judges. The show’s format was similar to that of ‘India’s Got Latent’, involving dark humour and explicit jokes.
India’s Got Latent Controversy
The controversy surrounding ‘India’s Got Latent’ began with Ranveer Allahbadia’s controversial comments, which sparked widespread outrage. A formal complaint was filed against Allahbadia, Samay Raina, comedian Apoorva Makhija, and the organizers of the show. In response, Raina expressed his regret on Instagram, stating that his only aim was to entertain and that he would fully cooperate with all agencies to ensure fair inquiries.
Following the backlash, multiple FIRs were filed against the involved parties across various states, including Maharashtra and Assam. The controversy intensified after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that the Guwahati Police had registered an FIR against several individuals for promoting obscenity and engaging in inappropriate content.
On February 18, the Supreme Court strongly condemned Allahbadia’s remarks, with Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh describing the comments as “dirty and perverted” and emphasizing that such behaviour must be unequivocally condemned.
The fallout from the controversy has led to increased scrutiny of online content and the responsibility of creators to ensure that their material adheres to societal norms and values.
