Hyderabad: India’s Got Latent, the popular reality show created by comic Samay Raina, has landed in controversy after a recent episode featured a contentious joke about Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone’s battle with depression. The show, which prides itself on pushing boundaries, saw a contestant, Bunty Banerjee, draw criticism for comments made about Deepika, who has been open about her struggles with mental health.

In the episode, judged by Samay Raina, Tanmay Bhat, Raghu Ram, neurologist Dr Sid Warrier, and Balraj Singh Ghai, Banerjee referred to Deepika’s recent motherhood, saying, “Deepika Padukone also became a mother recently, right? Great, now she knows what depression really looks like.” The comment elicited laughter and applause from the panel, with Tanmay Bhat covering his face with his hands before joining in the reaction. Banerjee continued, “I am not trying to insult breakup-wala depression… Actually, I am.”

The joke, which was shared widely on social media, has been slammed by many for trivialising mental health and disrespecting Deepika’s efforts to spread awareness. On Reddit, users criticised both the contestant and the judges for their response. One comment read, “Ok making fun of someone’s mental health is not cool or fun at all.” Another read, “The average stupid group assumes Deepika’s depression was because of the breakup.” A user wrote, “Whatever it is, it’s not cool to make fun of someone’s mental health. These dark humour warriors are stooping to a new low every day.”

Some defended the show’s overall edgy tone, arguing that the backlash was due to the joke being about a celebrity like Deepika Padukone. However, others rebutted, saying, “It’s not about Deepika, but a woman’s mental health being made fun of in public for male validation by a female comedian.”

Deepika Padukone has been a vocal advocate for mental health awareness; she founded The Live Love Laugh Foundation in 2015 to combat stigma and educate on mental health issues. Her contributions include campaigns like More Than Just Sad, aimed at assisting general physicians in treating patients with depression and anxiety.