'Debate what good journalism is', Vir Das slams mainstream media over ‘India’s Got Latent’ row
Comedian and actor Vir Das, known for his past legal troubles over the ‘Two Indias’ monologue at the Kennedy Center in Washington, has now spoken up about the controversy surrounding 'India’s Got Latent'.
The show, hosted by comedian Samay Raina and featuring guest judges Ranveer Allahbadia, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Mukhija, and Ashish Chanchlani, has been at the centre of a storm over remarks made on its platform. The backlash has escalated, even leading to legal action against those involved.
Taking to his Instagram Story, Vir Das weighed in on the situation, making it clear that while audiences have the right to debate what makes good comedy, the natural consequences of feedback already shape a comedian’s career.
“The audience is always welcome to debate what good comedy is. A good artist will take their feedback head down, mouth shut, and maybe evolve. Either way, the consequences of your comedy on your career and audience are pretty instant. That’s a natural process," he wrote.
Vir Das didn’t stop there. He went on to call out mainstream media, suggesting that legacy outlets are feeling threatened by the rise of digital content creators who reach larger audiences with more engaging and impactful content.
“But we are also watching a bunch of irrelevant mainstream media anchors bordering extinction coming together to take down new media that gets millions more views, longer interviews, and far more impact than their bloated studios and fat salary at 1 percent of the cost. Whether you like the new media or not is irrelevant," he added.
“Debate what good journalism is”
The comedian further pointed out that while people are debating the nature of comedy, they should also turn their attention to the state of journalism today.
“That’s also what’s happening here. And while they debate what good comedy is, please debate what good journalism is, and the news that they should be doing, the questions they should be asking, and who they should be asking them to," he said.
Meanwhile, the controversy around 'India’s Got Latent' has escalated legally. On 10th February, Guwahati Police registered an FIR against host Samay Raina and all the judges on the show under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly “promoting obscenity and engaging in sexually explicit discussions.”
The FIR has been lodged under Sections 79, 95, 294, and 296 of BNS 2023, along with Section 67 of the IT Act, 2000, Section 4/7 of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, and Section 4/6 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
(With agency inputs)