Samay Raina’s comedy show India’s Got Latent has found itself in controversy after a contestant’s remarks sparked outrage. According to multiple reports, an FIR has been lodged against one of the participants for allegedly making offensive comments during an episode.
The controversy erupted when Jessy Nabam, a contestant from Arunachal Pradesh, appeared on the show and engaged in a conversation with host Samay Raina. During their exchange, Raina asked Nabam if she had ever eaten dog meat. While she denied having tried it herself, she went on to claim that many people in Arunachal Pradesh, including pet owners, consume dog meat. “I know because my friends eat it. They even eat their pets at times,” she reportedly said.
The episode, which was uploaded on YouTube, quickly drew backlash, leading to an FIR being filed against Nabam. The complaint was reportedly registered by Armaan Ram Welly Bakha, a resident of Seppa in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Kameng District. He accused the contestant of making derogatory remarks that misrepresented the people of the state.
India’s Got Latent is a parody of the reality show India’s Got Talent, with a format inspired by the American comedy series Kill Tony, hosted by Tony Hinchcliffe. Contestants perform and rate their own acts out of 10, after which a panel of judges scores them. If a contestant’s self-rating aligns with the judges’ average score, they win the full ticket revenue from that episode along with a ₹1 lakh cash prize, sponsored by the episode’s partner.
As the controversy unfolds, neither Samay Raina nor the show’s creators have made any official statements addressing the FIR or the backlash.
