First AIB, now IGL: Will Indian society embrace dark humour? Comedy’s future in limbo

New Delhi: Is new media harming the younger generation’s mindset with vulgar content? That is the question looming over India following the controversy surrounding Samay Raina, Ranveer Allahbadia, and India’s Got Latent. This nationwide scandal has sparked discussions about the increasing use of abusive language on social media and the influence ‘vulgar’ content has on young minds. It appears that the disconnect between older and younger generations stems from a shift in their primary sources of entertainment.

While the older generation tends to enjoy ‘clean’ comedians such as Kapil Sharma, Sunil Pal, and Bharti Singh, the younger audience seems more drawn to ‘offensive’ or ‘roast’ humour. This divide is nothing new. In the early 2010s, AIB (All India Bakchod) was one of the most popular YouTube comedy channels, known for using explicit language and bringing the ‘roast comedy’ format into the mainstream. Although it was ultimately the #MeToo allegations that led to AIB’s downfall, their content was widely criticised by the media.

Dark Comedy: An Ever-Growing Genre

After AIB’s demise, audiences who enjoyed this style of humour turned to other creators offering similar dark comedy. Over time, the popularity of such content grew exponentially in India. Fast forward to the present, and Samay Raina is another comedian who dabbles in dark comedy. His fans often say, “India is not ready for Samay Raina’s comedy,” and—ironically or not—this statement holds true.

As AIB’s former member Rohan Joshi aptly put it in an Instagram story about the controversy, “All of this has happened before, all of this will happen again.” This sentiment resonates because Indian society still struggles to accept such humour. The generational gap in comedic preferences remains vast, and recent events suggest it is unlikely to close anytime soon. Just as clean comedy has its audience, so too does the other side. Comedians like Samay Raina and Harsh Gujral simply cater to an existing demand.

India vs Dark Comedy: The Attempt to Censor ‘Reality’

Up-and-coming comedians often become easy targets in the debate over new media and its influence. Although Ranveer Allahbadia’s remark, which triggered the controversy, was undeniably tasteless and offensive, both online and offline groups are now using it as fuel to revive traditional media’s waning influence.

What’s even more concerning is the kind of censorship that authorities seek to impose on Indian social media. If implemented, this would not only stifle a widely enjoyed genre but also suppress an alternative way of thinking that the younger generation has cultivated over the years. Platforms like YouTube and Instagram Reels reflect many of our real thoughts, but such censorship would strip individuals of their uniqueness, forcing them to conform to outdated morals and ethics—widening the generational divide even further.

Only weeks ago, Samay Raina was praised for creating India’s Got Latent, a force to be reckoned with. The now-deleted 18 episodes had an average of 20–30 million views per video, outpacing even the biggest established entertainment entities. Yet, the moment critics found an opportunity to bring him down, they seized it.

So, no—India is not ready for dark humour and all the potential it holds.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone. The opinions and facts in this article do not represent the stand of News9.)