'Summon YouTube to the Court too, why just Ranveer...?': Anupam Mittal on India's Got Latent controversy

Shark Tank India judge and entrepreneur Anupam Mittal has lashed out at social media platforms such as YouTube, calling them complicit in spreading provocative or explicit content while simultaneously distancing themselves when public outrage ensues.

“Summon YouTube to the High Court too, not just Ranveer and Apoorva,” he said in a lengthy LinkedIn post, referring to the recent legal scrutiny faced by content creators Ranveer Allahbadia and Apoorva Mukhija over remarks made on the controversial show, “India’s Got Latent.”

The program, known for its explicit content and irreverent humor, has come under intense criticism after certain clips, including those with Allahbadia and Mukhija, sparked an outcry.

While Mittal condemned the comments as “totally unacceptable in any civilized society,” he stressed that the show had always been pitched as shock entertainment. “India’s Got Latent wasn’t some Satyamev Jayate ka lost episode > it was always about insults, vulgarity, irreverence & shock. Like it or hate it, that was the show,” he wrote.

The current controversy comes after multiple first information reports (FIRs) were filed against Allahbadia in several cities, and the Supreme Court granted him protection against arrest. Samay Raina, another figure involved, pulled down episodes of “India’s Got Latent” from YouTube amid the uproar. Yet Mittal argues that the real problem goes beyond individual YouTubers or hosts.

In his view, large digital platforms foster extreme content for the sake of virality, then shirk responsibility once backlash begins.

“When one extreme becomes the norm, what does the algorithm do? Promotes the next level of obscenity. YouTube, Instagram, digital media, these platforms dangle virality like prasad, watch creators chase, and then step back when the fire starts,” he said. 

At the same time, he acknowledged that “Ranveer and Apoorva messed up, real bad, and apologized,” but urged observers to shift focus to how platforms facilitate such material.

Beyond the question of explicit content, Mittal is concerned about the lack of effective parental controls on sites like YouTube. “I am shocked at the age-inappropriate content that YT keeps serving up,” he said, adding that he still encounters unsuitable videos for his 7-year-old despite using platform-provided filters.

Like many critics of Big Tech, Mittal takes issue with laws that shield digital intermediaries from the obligations traditional media face.

“The real culprits are ‘Big-tech’ who take cover under digital intermediary laws that allow them to flout all responsibility & accountability,” he wrote, contrasting the situation with newspapers or television stations, which would face immediate censure if they broadcast similarly offensive material.