By Anil Merani: Ranveer Allahbadia’s controversial comments regarding incest on Samay Raina’s “India Got Latent” podcast have stirred significant outrage. Many on social media are calling for repercussions, invoking the defense of Indian culture. There are even suggestions that he may face legal challenges, as hinted by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Ranveer asked a contestant “Would you rather watch your parents have sex for the rest of your life or join in once to make it stop?”
Allahbadia did not stop here and even asked the contestant about the size of his p***s.
While I understand the anger, especially given the involvement of parents, incest is a very taboo topic. We Indians hold our parents in high esteem, and to suggest a sexual liaison can be quite shocking.
Rather than debating the rightness or wrongness of his remarks, I wish to look at the broader picture.
Ranveer has every right to express his thoughts, but the public also has the right to feel offended and seek legal recourse. Ironically, those who champion freedom of expression often react negatively when their content is criticized.
While no one has the right to physically harm Ranveer, people are free to approach the courts. However, he might find himself in a difficult situation if multiple FIRs are filed against him across different jurisdictions, which could compel him to move to the Supreme Court to consolidate the cases in one location.
I wonder why the controversial comment was not edited out; the production team must have been aware of the potential pitfalls.
It seems they were aiming for greater notoriety, which has backfired. Looking at past precedents, it’s probable they won’t face any legal consequences, as cases like these take years to resolve—just look at the status of the Karan Johar Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh 2015 roast case.
We must acknowledge that there is a large market for sexual content, which these YouTubers are tapping into. I’m not going to sit in moral judgment—what is considered distasteful can also be profitable.
Sometimes, during the course of an event, individuals go too far; this appears to be the case here. Ranveer and Samay might need to issue apologies, take down the content, and lie low for a while before resuming their activities.
I have a question to his million of YT and Insta followers and brands, will you continue to engage with him? If yes, then I rest my case. It’s said that Ranveer is usually careful about what he says; it’s no wonder he was regarded as one of the “good guys” until he crossed the line.
This incident will likely reignite calls for web censorship, but as we all know, it is technically challenging to implement. We don’t want to head down a path similar to China or North Korea.
Self-censorship is still the best approach, but it’s tricky for those who want to titillate their audience. The issue arises when minor transgressions are overlooked, which can embolden creators to push boundaries even further.
Given the public backlash, I suspect many liberals will choose to distance themselves from defending Ranveer. Privately, they might advise him, “Dude, you crossed the line.”
Some battles are better left unfought, they might think, as such controversies can hurt their freedom of expression cause and should ideally be resolved quickly.
PS As expected Ranveer has applogized (Uncondtionally i must say) Will this douse the flames ? Those on the other side might not be satsified with just a sorry and demand punishment to deter others in the future.
