‘Ranveer Must Reflect On The Gravity of His Words, Reconsider His Path’
Smriti Jain, a Mumbai-based educator and a mother of two, shares her concerns at the obscene language used by standup comedians to garner instant popularity.
For the first time, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on something I recently encountered that left me deeply concerned. I am talking about the shocking remarks by popular YouTuber and influencer Ranveer Allahbadia and I feel it’s important to address them. I have occasionally watched his podcasts, especially when he has guests I admire.
I must admit here that whenever my children saw me watching his content, they would caution me, urging me not to subscribe or support his content. At that time, I dismissed their concerns, telling them not to judge people negatively. My views changed 1800 degree after hearing an unrefined question which he asked one of his show participants. As a parent I was both shocked and appalled. I could hardly believe my ears.
It is disheartening to witness how some people, driven by ego and arrogance, feel entitled to make such irresponsible, lewd statements. When someone’s sense of self-importance reaches the point of believing they own the world, it leads to behaviour that can be harmful to society. Ranveer is the same age as my son and I find it difficult to understand how he has achieved such success while holding such troubling views.
My hope is that this young man sincerely reflects on his actions, acknowledges his mistake, and reconsiders his path. It’s my belief that he should take time away from the public eye to truly understand the gravity of his words and actions. As a mother, I can only imagine the emotional toll this would have taken on his family, particularly his mother. I am genuinely curious about her perspective on this situation.
In my role as a school teacher, I often had the opportunity to engage with parents about their concerns. A question I heard repeatedly was, “Ma’am, how do I protect my child from the harmful effects of social media?” This concern is not isolated; it’s widespread. Given the influence social media personalities have over impressionable minds, I believe the government must take a firm stance on this issue.
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Stronger regulations should be enforced to prevent the spread of harmful content, and we must demand greater accountability from social media influencers. Those who produce obscene material should face severe consequences, including fines and, in extreme cases, imprisonment.
Simply issuing an apology video, without real repercussions, is not enough. It would be injustice to the many families struggling to protect their children from this kind of content. The participants of shows like India’s Got Latent seem primarily concerned with their financial gain, but we must ask ourselves: What responsibility do we, as viewers, bear? What impact does our support have on our families, our nation, and ourselves?
To close, I’d like to leave you with a thought-provoking quote by Herman Melville: “We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibres connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibres, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.”
As told to Deepa Gupta
