Manoj Bajpayee has reacted to the controversy over Samay Raina's India's Got Latent 2.
The banter between Samay Raina and Sharon Verma on Bihari vs Kashmiri Pandits triggered controversy.
The Bihari joke involved humour on the immigrants.
Stand-up comedian Samay Raina has once again ruffled politicians' feathers with his polarising comedy on the latest episode of India's Got Latent Season 2. Samay Raina and his co-judge Sharon Verma faced backlash over their banter on their Kashmiri and Bihari identities.
Actor Manoj Bajpayee who hails from Bihar has reacted to the jokes on Biharis.
Manoj Bajpayee on Samay Raina's Bihari joke
In an interaction with IANS, on the row, Bajpayee said, "If it is all in jest, I actually don't mind it", adding "we should learn to laugh at ourselves and laugh together, laugh at each other and still not be hurt and offended."
The actor also said that "we should have humour about ourselves, but at the same time we should have respect, not only for ourselves but also for the person that you are sitting with and where that person comes from" which he things is "very important".
"If two people are very easy with each other, they always laugh at each other," he said further.
Recalling an incident from his early days in Delhi, when he was 18 and was new to the city, Bajpayee said he was trying to get into a bus from the front door because it was his first time and didn't know the rules of the city. "So, the driver looked at me and shouted, 'Aye Bihari, board from the back gate'," the actor said.
"So, he didn't know that I was from Bihar, but actually I'm from Bihar. So, for him, every person who was doing that kind of a foolish mistake was from Bihar. I didn't mind it because first, he was right that I was from Bihar. Second, I was not wrong because I was new to the city and I was completely unfamiliar. But when I made friends with people from different states, we used to laugh at each other," he said.
The Governor actor also said that a problem arises if somebody comes from somewhere and that becomes a problem for people or a community. "Till then, we should be able to laugh at each other, laugh at ourselves. That's a sign of a very healthy society," he added.
On the work front, Manoj's upcoming film is Last Man in Tower, directed by Ben Rakhi. It will hit the screens on September 11, 2026.
