Ranveer Allahbadia, an extremely popular Indian YouTuber and podcaster also popularly known as BeerBiceps, has issued several public apologies regarding the controversial remark made during his participation as a guest in the YouTube show ‘India’s Got Latent’ (IGL).
This is, however, only one among many such controversies debated currently regarding digital content limits and freedom of expression in India. The Controversial Remark On February 10, 2025, during his guest appearance on ‘India’s Got Latent,’ hosted by comedian Samay Raina, he asked a contestant, “Would you rather watch your parents make love every day for the rest of your life or join in once so it stops forever?”
The statement was considered inappropriate and offensive by many and gave rise to immediate outrage in all social media. Immediate Backlash and Legal Actions The comment indeed did not go well with vast sections of the audience. Different social media platforms have been awash with criticism regarding the question, describing it as lewd and crossing the bounds of humor into distastefulness.
The immediate backlash escalated into several police complaints against Allahbadia and other guests of the show for obscenity and vulgar discussion in such a public manner. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that Guwahati police have lodged an FIR against Allahbadia, Raina, and some other participants for promoting obscenity and vulgar discussions in a public manner.
The FIR registered was under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Information Technology Act, the Cinematograph Act, and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. Sarma emphasized that, in fact, there was utmost seriousness over the case and investigation would be taken earnestly. The controversy also became known to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who condemned the remarks and called for legal action against those responsible.
With an apology on social media, thus the wave of criticism Allahbadia took upon himself, he said that he is regretful as his sentence was inappropriate. He took all of the responsibility upon himself, stressing he would think before he spoke again in the future: “I had a lapse of judgment, and I should not have said what I said. I take full responsibility, and I assure you I will think before speaking in the future.”
Some episodes of India’s Got Latent were also removed off Samay Raina’s YouTube channel, which Raina stated he expressed regret over since the show was never intended to be offensive. He further stated that he shall provide his full cooperation with the authorities during the investigation.
Responses from the Entertainment Sector
The incident quickly attracted varying responses from the people in the entertainment community. Actor and TV personality Raghu Ram spoke about the controversy and wished that certain types of jokes could not have been included in the show. He emphasized to always be mindful of content that causes hurt or offense.
Legal Proceedings and Government Responses
In its course, the Indian Supreme Court intervened in the controversy in the hearing of this termination matter, granting protection from arrest to Allahbadia but he was rebuked thereafter about his conduct and his actions in the whole controversy were termed as “this is lack of responsibility” and “this is condemnable.” The judge further ordered Allahbadia to submit his passport for surrender and prevented him from leaving the country till the investigation was completed.
Based on the incident, a parliamentary panel also advised the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to explore the enactment of policies related to digital content platforms, such as YouTube. Lawmakers raised their concerns regarding the lack of oversight on such platforms and insisted on developing guidelines in order to put an end to the flow of obscene or harmful contents.
