Singer Mika Singh has shared his perspective on the ongoing controversy surrounding comedian Samay Raina and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia in the wake of the India’s Got Latent row. In a recent interview, Mika opened up about the missteps that led to the backlash and reflected on his own past experiences with public scrutiny.
Speaking to Pinkvilla, Mika said, “I have no personal issues with Samay Raina; he is a sweet guy. A lot of people have told me he is my huge fan and a great musician too. Ranveer is also very nice. He is a gracious and poised human being, but his biggest mistake was that he shouldn’t have gone on the show. Their shows are very different. Ranveer’s show is very decent and respectful. Samay’s show has a different audience. If he had not gone there, this issue wouldn’t have happened.”
Mika also pointed out how certain content can be offensive in a country like India. He explained, “More vulgar things have been spoken about on Samay’s show, and if you say cheap things like this in a country like India, it will be hurtful. Just because Samay has succeeded, a lot of people want to be like him, but that’s wrong. Both Samay and Ranveer are successful, but they should also set the right example. You need to control the youth when you have such a huge influence.”
The singer further recalled facing intense backlash in the past for the lyrics in his songs. “I had received 500 legal notices for some lyrics in the song Ganpat. Even during ‘Gandi Baat,’ I got almost 1000 legal notices. So what is happening with them is very less. I was scrutinised badly. They said to ban me because I performed in Pakistan,” he revealed.
Despite the controversy, Mika urged people to show leniency towards Samay and Ranveer. “I don’t have anything against them, and their families should not be dragged into this. Ban the artiste for some time. With this, lots of other influencers have also learned a lesson that they cannot be talking rubbish. They are kids who became successful, so I urge people to forgive them. Both are well educated and well-spoken, just that they couldn’t manage the success,” he concluded.