Vir Das on Ranveer Allahbadia controversy: Journalists, do better

Dubai: Indian Comedian and actor Vir Das has become the latest celebrity to comment on the controversy surrounding India's Got Latent, a show hosted by Samay Raina with guest judges Ranveer Allahbadia, Jaspreet Singh, Apoorva Makhija, and Ashish Chanchlani.

The show has faced intense backlash over an inappropriate remark made during one of its episodes.

The controversy erupted after Ranveer Allahbadia, also known as the "BeerBiceps Guy," asked a female contestant a deeply offensive question on the roast-themed show.

Vir Das shared his thoughts on his Instagram, highlighting the ongoing debate about comedy and its boundaries.

“The audience has every right to discuss and critique what they believe good comedy should be. A genuine artist will take that feedback quietly, reflect, and possibly grow from it. Ultimately, the impact of comedy—good or bad—on an artist’s career and audience happens naturally and instantly,” he wrote.

Das also pointed fingers at mainstream media for allegedly amplifying the controversy to target newer, digital platforms.

He described traditional media as struggling to stay relevant and accused them of focusing on the downfall of emerging content creators.

“We’re witnessing mainstream media, desperate to remain significant, banding together to take shots at digital platforms that attract millions of views and deliver meaningful engagement at a fraction of the cost of their bloated setups. Whether or not you like new media is beside the point,” he said.

Das signed off urging his fans to spark a broader discussion about journalism standards: “As they debate what qualifies as good comedy, let’s also examine what good journalism should look like, the stories that deserve attention, and the people journalists should be holding accountable.”

He also expressed his belief that the mainstream media is fighting for relevance by weaponsing Ranveer's controversy.

"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 per cent of the cost. Whether you like the new media or not is irrelevant," he wrote.