The third episode of India’s Got Latent quickly became a talking point due to contestant Sakshi Jha’s statements during her performance. She described herself as a “man hater” and later said she was a “feminist”.
In response, Raghu Ram asked her not to identify as a feminist if she thought misogyny represented feminism. After the episode was released on YouTube and Netflix, Jha found herself facing backlash across social media. The Bihar-based teacher quickly became the focus of memes on social media. Amid this, Samay Raina appealed to viewers to show compassion towards Sakshi, after the third episode sparked widespread criticism for her comments about men.
Speaking to social media, Raina admitted that Jha has become the target of countless memes, but urged people not to let trolling cross the line into personal attacks. He joked that he packed his bags and headed to Alibaug as soon as the episode aired, saying he knew another controversy was likely coming his way.In one of his videos, Raina addressed trolling directly. “Bahaut sare memes ban rhe hain ‘man hater’ Sakshi Jha ke (“Man hater” Sakshi Jha is the new topic of memes].”
He followed this with a plea: “But request hai mere ‘mens’ ke liye[I have a request for ‘mens’]just be nice to her husband.” [Ihavearequestfor’mens’)justbekindtoherman”Explaining his point of view, Raina said that India’s Got Latent is a platform where contestants often say unexpected things and added that performing on stage is never easy. He admitted that he felt saddened by the amount of hate directed at Jha and asked viewers to ensure that their criticism remains respectful.
While he said he had no objection to lighthearted jokes, he reminded people, “But remember, waha par bhi ek insaan hai (remember there is a human being at the receiving end).
“The comedian also encouraged his followers to support Jha, saying it was a perfect opportunity to express her kindness. “It will show her that men are great people too,” he added. Raina also credited Jha for making the finale memorable, saying that without her contribution, it would not have been a hit.
“You have to give it to her,” he added.In another Instagram story, Raina tagged Jha and wrote: “Sending you lots of love from the guys.” During her appearance on the show, Jha repeatedly referred to herself as a “man hater” and responded with the word “chhee” (eww) while making a face whenever the word “mard” (men) was mentioned. She also claimed that she hates her father, grandfather and brother, saying she told her father this directly.When Vishal Dadlani asked her about her stated fantasy of beating her husband, Jha explained that she meant doing it after consuming alcohol. Defending the remark in a humorous way, she said that as a Gen Z person, “kuchh to alag hona chahiye na” (there has to be something different).Jha also described a “good man” as one who obeys his wife without question, or “guru ka golam”. Her remarks quickly spread online, sparking a debate about feminism and prompting many users to say that the zero scores she received from each judge accurately reflected her performance on India’s Got Lant 2.The second season of India’s Got Latent saw the return of Samay Raina after the controversy surrounding the previous season. The opening episode, which featured actors Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh, received a mixed response, with some viewers welcoming the show’s return while others felt it lacked the spontaneous, unfiltered charm that had previously made it a viral sensation.