Kailash Kher urges 'politeness' amid comedy show joke controversy

Singer Kailash Kher urged people to be 'polite' in public discourse amid a controversy over jokes about Bihar and Kashmir on the stand-up comedy show 'India's Got Latent' featuring comedians Samay Raina and Sharon Verma.

Kailash Kher Calls for Politeness

Singer Kailash Kher has called for greater awareness and civility in public discourse, urging people to remain “chaitanye” (alert) and “tameez” (polite) amid criticism surrounding jokes involving Bihar and Kashmir on the stand-up comedy show India’s Got Latent.

Speaking to ANI, Kher was asked about comedians making fun of statements associated with Kashmiri Pandits and Biharis and about the broader debate around stand-up comedy on social media. “Look, if I'll tell you in terms of music, then music is not just a tune its something that can also make you laugh, its also a form of discipline. So, you should stay in music,” Kher said. “If your music tune is not correct, then you may end in making fun of someone," he added.

Kher then stressed the importance of conduct and politeness. “To islie manushye ko chaitanye me rehna chahie, tameez me rehna chahie… or apni apni tameez se sb baat krein, to sbko itna to pta hi hai kaise jeena hai, kese hasna hai or kese hsaana hai, kese kisi ka dil jeetna hai…” he said. (translation: So, a person should be alert, should be polite, and should talk to everyone politely. Everyone knows how to live, how to laugh, how to win the hearts of people.)

He also reflected on his own journey to fame, saying he had always tried to conduct himself politely. “I have always been polite,” he said, while acknowledging that popularity can bring criticism, envy and hostility. “There will be critics, there will be haters, there will be jealous people. Then you will realise that you have come so far,” Kher said.

The Controversy on 'India's Got Latent'

Kailash Kher's remarks came amid criticism of an exchange between comedian Samay Raina and comedian Sharon Verma during Season 2 of 'India's Got Latent', which has attracted political attention over jokes involving Bihar and Kashmir.

Sharon Verma, a former contestant from the first season, appeared as a panellist alongside Samay Raina, Orry, Archana Puran Singh and Nishant Suri. During the episode, Raina made a joke about Verma's Bihari roots and stereotypes surrounding migration for work. Verma responded with a joke about Raina's Kashmiri identity and "getting stoned", and also said she had "atleast left her state by choice." The exchange appeared to be mutual comic banter, with both comedians engaging with the jokes. However, clips from the episode have since drawn strong reactions online, and the comments have also attracted political attention.

Political Backlash

Speaking to ANI, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey criticised Raina's comedy and said the comedian should avoid bringing caste, states or religions into his routines. "Samay Raina is a comedian. His comedy routines often feature a great deal of obscenity. He has been involved in numerous controversies before; he has always been a controversial figure... But Samay Raina has just made another controversial statement. His recent altercation with another comedian, Sharon Verma, reveals a profound lack of understanding on their part. These people will stoop to any level just to make money. Samay Raina understands neither Bihar nor Jammu and Kashmir properly. Although he hails from Jammu and Kashmir, he shows no loyalty to that region, and certainly none to the people of Bihar... Just stick to comedy. Why drag specific castes, states, or religions into it?...", he said.

BJP leader Ram Kadam also called for stricter legal measures against remarks that hurt religious or other sentiments, while also urging the public to respond on social media. "We all respect any artist's talent, his art, but if under the guise of art, someone's faith, belief, or sentiments are hurt, it simply means that the artist is crossing certain boundaries to cause pain to people. Now this has become a trend. For publicity stunts, people start dragging in gods and goddesses or sentiments... It all ends with an apology... Now the time has come to enact a strict law against this... Then no one will have the courage to do such things. Enacting a strict law is the need of the hour, but until such a law is made, the public should ban such people on social media so that their minds come to their senses... Whether it's Samay Raina or anyone else under the guise of art, no one's sentiments can be hurt, and if someone is doing that, they cannot be forgiven," he said.

Samay Raina and Sharon Verma have yet to issue a public response to the criticism surrounding their exchange.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)