Actor Srikant Dwivedi, who has been part of shows such as Shiv Shakti: Tap Tyaag Taandav, Lakshmi Narayan—Sukh Samarthya Santulan and Bhagya Lakshmi, says that YouTuber and Podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia does is not really how he is being portrayed. Recently, Ranveer posed a very controversial question recently at a show. While official complaints have been filed, People have also been trolling the YouTuber, questioning his choice of words and the question.

“I recently came across various memes and discussions about Ranveer Allahbadia’s comments on the show “India’s Got Latent.” Having met him personally, I feel his remarks were out of character. I haven’t watched any episodes of the show, as I don’t resonate with that style of comedy and language, which I find rather vulgar. Seeing Ranveer on that show was surprising to me. I strongly believe he made those comments under peer pressure to stay relevant and assert his presence on the show. Knowing him, I don’t think his intentions were genuinely malicious,” he says.

He adds, “I believe that Ranveer made those comments under peer pressure, which is completely wrong. I do not support what he said, and I think he should sincerely apologize for it. Shows and some podcasts are getting out of control, where people say anything and everything without thinking. They sometimes forget that a large number of young people follow them. These kids start believing that this is how life works and that they can talk to anyone in any manner.”

He says that such shows are to be blamed. “I feel the time has come to regulate these podcasts and shows. There should be some rules in place to monitor the kind of language being used. It is high time we have some form of censorship to keep things in check. In the same context, I recently heard an interview with a comedian , where he explained why people use abusive words in comedy. He said that many comedians resort to bad language because they lack wit and humor in a refined way. When they try to use clean language, they often struggle to make it funny, so they add abusive words to make it seem humorous—but in reality, it isn’t. He compared this to how, in poverty-stricken areas, people use excessive chilies in their food to mask its bland taste. Similarly, in comedy, these abusive words act like chilies, added just to keep the audience engaged. He pointed out that many comedians rely on such language because they lack genuine wit and humour. I strongly agree with this view, and I believe this is exactly what has been happening in many shows today.”