Why did Samay Raina's India's Got Latent sink while 'Kill Tony' continues to soar in the West? Let’s discuss!

As we witnessed Samay Raina's India's Got Latent going offline after a huge backlash in India, 'Kill Tony', its inspiration found a new home in Netflix. We discuss why we think the two shows met with different fates!

The internet and social media have exposed us to content from all over the world. My social media feed is full of clips from films and shows in various languages which are entertaining and have introduced me to artists and art forms that I wasn’t aware of before. The viewing experience of these films and shows is entertaining, however, I’m also met with a certain amount of culture shock, especially when it comes to comedy.

Kill Tony, the live podcast, hosted by Tony Hinchcliffe, which inspired Samay Raina’s infamous India’s Got Latent is one of such shows. It thrives on unfiltered and often brutal roasting of amateur comedians, and taboo topics are discussed and ridiculed with great comfort. While recent weeks witnessed Raina getting in deep trouble over an alleged ‘obscene joke on parents’ which resulted in him taking down the show and apologizing, Kill Tony made its debut recently on Netflix and it has only gotten bigger and better. The first episode was completely in line with the show's original format and also featured comedians impersonating US President Donald Trump, billionaire Elon Musk, and former President Joe Biden. There was banter, leg-pulling, and brutal roasting among the three comedians but mind you, there wasn’t an iota of hesitation or fear of repercussions for mocking three of the country’s most powerful men. 

Also Read: Why are we still stuck on India's Got Latent and the controversy around it?

This also reminds me of the trouble Kunal Kamra and a number of other artists faced in recent times. The comedian, in his recent set, implied a satire on Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. No names were taken and yet the studio where the show was performed was vandalized by the leader's supporters, multiple FIRs were filed, and the comedian received death threats, sparking legislative debate and media outrage.

The Indian comedy scene is full of such examples where artists have faced numerous instances of attacks and harassment when their material featured a satire on a bold take on topics like culture, religion, or politics. The arrests and public backlashes of Kiku Sharda, for mimicking Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim (Who is now a rape convict) or Munawar Faruqui, for allegedly insulting Hindu deities and Vir Das’s ‘Two Indias’ monologue in Washington D.C., where he highlighted India’s paradoxes which led to police complaints for allegedly ‘insulting the country’ underlines the sensitivity around such topics. 

So how do ‘Kill Tony’ and dark humor continue to flourish in the West while ‘India’s Got Latent’ and socio-political satires are in troubled waters in India?

Samay Raina’s India's Got Latent was launched in June 2024. Relying on dark humor and unfiltered takes, the show struck a chord with Gen Z in no time as episodes grabbed up to 20 to 40 million views each. It was new, irreverent, and chaotic—some called it genre-defining while others dismissed it as crass. However, things went downhill earlier this year when a clip from an episode featuring Ranveer Allahbadia (BeerBiceps) took social media by storm where he asked a contestant- “Would you rather watch your parents have sex every day for the rest of your life or join in once to stop it forever?” The questions led to huge public outcry resulting in FIRs, booking the panelists under laws like the IT Act and BNS 2023 for 'promoting obscenity', the Supreme Court slamming Allahbadia’s ‘deeply perverse’ mindset, politicians promising action and Parliament debating the need for YouTube regulation. The events forced Raina to delete all 18 episodes of his YouTube channel.

However, shows or films exploring dark comedy like Kill Tony continue to thrive thanks to the cultural and legal environment in the US that embraces and empowers boundary-pushing humor. The show started 12 years ago and its success speaks for itself. It mirrors the country’s appetite for raw, unpredictable, and crude humor and sheds light on America’s tradition of free expression where taboo topics, irreverence, and even cruelty are celebrated as part of an art form. Society has a greater tolerance for dark comedy and it is evident in decade-old shows exploring this format (Eg. Family Guy, The Simpsons, and more). Moreover, the legal protections and latex laws let artists experiment freely while the Indian comedy landscape walks on a tightrope.

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It struggles with dark humor or bold satire thanks to several social and structural reasons. Traditional Indian audiences prefer relatable and clean humor over the one that is unsettling or crude. Dark comedy, which stems from discomfort, conflicts with society’s natural inclination toward sensitivity, especially around topics of politics, religion, and tragedies. While the younger audience might enjoy it privately, they are defensive about it while supporting it on public platforms.

Most of the time, it's not even about the audience but a section of it that compels artists to practice self-censorship to protect themselves and their eco-system (Brands, organizers, venues) to continue performing. India, at large, is a conservative country and the freedom given to us is not absolute in nature for our own good. However, the offence brigade uses the ambiguity of definitions and interpretations of our freedom to oppress comedians in the guise of protecting society.

Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India guarantees freedom of speech and expression, but it comes with reasonable restrictions to safeguard public order, decency, and morality. This creates a gray area for comedians leaving them vulnerable and choosing safer options instead of controversial material. Besides, comedy is a rather developing industry that only gained prominence as a profession in the last decade and it’s still growing and finding its course.

Raina and Latent tried to bring something new to the table, however the cultural norms and legal risks prevented it. Some viewers miss the show and credit Raina for providing a platform to new talent; others laud it as internet cleansing. Whatever it is, it is safe to say that Indian comedy and society have a lot to introspect and discuss about the rights and wrongs. 

What are your thoughts on the current scene of Indian comedy? Tell us in the comments below.

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