The All Indian Cine Workers Association (
AICWA
) has strongly condemned YouTuber
Ranveer Allahbadia
‘s remarks on the show ‘
India’s Got Latent
,’ hosted by comedian
Samay Raina
, and has demanded an “immediate ban” on the show along with legal action against those involved.
In a press release shared on Monday evening, AICWA stated that Allahbadia’s comments were offensive and went against “societal and family values.” The association also urged the Indian film industry to “boycott” and “cease any collaboration with individuals” involved in the show.
“The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) vehemently condemns the reprehensible and offensive remarks made on the YouTube show India’s Got Latent, hosted by Samay Raina. In a recent episode, Ranveer Allahbadia, who participated in the show, unleashed abhorrent and vile statements that are deeply disrespectful to our societal and family values. Such disgraceful content is utterly unacceptable and poses a significant threat to the moral fabric of our society,” AICWA wrote.
“Representing the entire Indian film industry, AICWA officially boycotts India’s Got Latent. We call upon all actors, filmmakers, directors, and technicians to immediately cease any collaboration with individuals involved in this show, including host Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia. Henceforth, these individuals will receive no support from the Indian film industry,” the statement further read.
AICWA also added a list of demands, which included a complete ban on ‘India’s Got Latent,’ strict legal action against Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina, FIRs against all responsible individuals, and stronger regulations for digital content to prevent similar incidents, among others.
The controversy began after Allahbadia aka BeerBiceps made a crass joke during an episode of ‘India’s Got Latent’. His comment quickly went viral, leading to widespread backlash from artists and social media users. During an appearance on the show, the podcaster asked a contestant, “Would you rather watch your parents… or join in once and stop it forever?”
Allahbadia later apologized for his “inappropriate” remarks that were made in an “insensitive” manner during the YouTube episode of the show. He issued an apology in a video that he shared on his X account hours after facing backlash, saying that “comedy is not his forte” and that “it wasn’t cool.”
Admitting that his comments were “inappropriate,” the podcaster said, “My comment wasn’t just inappropriate, it wasn’t even funny. Comedy is not my forte, I am just here to say sorry.”
“Obviously, this is not how I wish to use it. I am not going to give any context, justification, or reasoning behind what happened. I am just here for an apology. I personally had a lapse in judgment. It wasn’t cool on my part,” he added.
He also addressed concerns about his influence on younger audiences, saying, “The podcast is watched by people of all ages. I don’t want to be the kind of person who takes that responsibility lightly. Family is the last thing that I would ever disrespect. I need to use this platform better. That has been my learning from this whole experience. I promise to get better,” he said.
Allahbadia added that he has asked India’s Got Latent to remove “insensitive sections” from the episode that featured him. “I have asked the makers of the video to remove the insensitive sections from the video. All I can say in the end is sorry, I hope you can forgive me as a human being,” he said.
A complaint was filed with the Mumbai Commissioner and the Maharashtra Women’s Commission in which the complainant alleged that the show used abusive language and made obscene remarks about women. The complaint states that the remarks were made to gain popularity and financial benefit through online broadcasts.
