A panellist's controversial remark played a key role in bringing Samay Raina's India's Got Latent Season 1 to an abrupt halt. Months later, the show is back with a second season and Samay once again finds himself facing backlash over jokes made during an episode.

The latest episode of India's Got Latent Season 2, featuring former contestant Sharon Verma as a panellist, has drawn attention for a roast battle between her and Samay. What began as comic banter over Bihar and Kashmir has now sparked criticism online, reviving memories of the controversy that engulfed the show's first season.

The timing makes the latest row particularly striking. The show's previous season was pulled from YouTube following massive backlash over controversial remarks made by panellist Ranveer Allahbadia. Now, with Season 2 gaining momentum, another episode and another set of jokes have put India's Got Latent back in the middle of a controversy.

The Sharon Verma episode

The latest episode featured comedian Sharon Verma, who had an interesting connection with the show long before she joined its panel.

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Sharon first appeared as a contestant during Season 1, where her stand-up set about being from Bihar helped her gain popularity. She memorably described herself as a "weak independent woman", a joke that struck a chord with viewers and went viral.

Following her appearance, Sharon built a strong online following and released stand-up videos, including Sensitive and Pressure. She now has more than one million followers on Instagram.

Her return to India's Got Latent in Season 2 marked a full-circle moment — from contestant to panellist.

But it was her exchange with Samay that became one of the episode's biggest talking points.

Samay and Sharon's roast battle

During the episode, Samay praised Sharon and said he was proud of her before turning the conversation into a roast.

"She is so Bihari that she thinks Ebola means someone said something," Samay joked.

Sharon quickly responded with a joke about Samay's Kashmiri roots.

"Samay is so Kashmiri, he loves getting stoned," she said.

The exchange continued when Samay joked about Sharon coming to Mumbai from Bihar in search of a job.

Sharon's response, however, left Samay with little to say.

"At least I left my state by my choice."

While many viewers praised Sharon's quick wit and comic timing, the Bihar and Kashmir references have also triggered criticism, putting the episode under fresh scrutiny.

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A familiar pattern for India’s Got Latent?

The controversy surrounding the latest episode has inevitably drawn comparisons with Season 1.

The first season was hit by a massive backlash after Ranveer Allahbadia, who was on the panel, made a controversial remark. The fallout led to all episodes of India's Got Latent being removed from YouTube.

The controversy became one of the biggest talking points surrounding the show and pushed Samay Raina into legal trouble alongside others involved in the episode. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court quashed criminal proceedings related to the controversy.

That is what makes the latest episode feel like a déjà vu moment for the show.

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Once again, India's Got Latent is being discussed not just for its comedy but for jokes involving a panellist and sensitive identities. The difference this time is that the controversial exchange involves Samay himself trading jokes with one of his panellists.

Will Season 2 face the same fate?

It remains too early to say whether the latest backlash will escalate into a controversy on the scale of Season 1.

The episode, however, has already become one of the show's biggest releases, crossing more than 15 million views within hours of its release, according to reports.

For Sharon, the episode marks another milestone in a journey that began as a contestant on the show's first season.

For Samay and India's Got Latent, however, the growing controversy raises a familiar question: after surviving one of Indian YouTube's biggest controversies, is the show once again heading towards troubled territory?