Manoj Bajpayee addresses Samay Raina's Bihari joke, asks people not to take offence

Actor Manoj Bajpayee has reacted to the controversy over standup comedian Samay Raina's India's Got Latent 2 and the Bihari joke row linked to a segment involving humour on immigrants, saying people should learn to laugh at themselves without being hurt or offended. He spoke on the issue while promoting his upcoming film Last Man in Tower.While speaking to IANS about the exchange on the show, where standup comedians Samay Raina and Sharon Verma mocked each other's roots, Bajpayee said he was not bothered as long as the intent was harmless. "If it is all in jest, I actually don't mind it. We should learn to laugh at ourselves and laugh together, laugh at each other and still not be hurt and offended.""So, this is what we should learn. 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. It's very important. If two people are very easy with each other, they always laugh at each other," he added.Bajpayee then recalled an incident from his early days in Delhi, when he was 18 and new to the city. He said, "When I was in Delhi, I was 18, and I was trying to get into a bus from the front door because this was my first time. So, I didn't know the rules of the city. So, the driver looked at me and shouted, 'Aye Bihari, board from the back gate'." "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."We never got offended or hurt. But yes, there is a problem if somebody coming from somewhere becomes a problem for you or becomes a problem for the community. Then there is a problem. 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. Bajpayee will next feature in Last Man in Tower, directed by Ben Rakhi and also starring Boman Irani and Divya Dutta. The film is set to release on September 11, 2026.During the recent episode of India's Got Latent 2, Raina, while introducing Verma to the audience, said, “She’s so Bihari, she thinks Ebola means someone said something.” Verma replied, “Samay is so Kashmiri, he loves getting stoned.”Raina then said, “You know, Sharon Verma is a Bihari who came to Mumbai in search of a job. Just Bihari things.” Verma responded, “At least I left my state by my choice.”The interaction sparked widespread interest given how heavily both comics draw from their distinct roots and personal histories in their material.Verma achieved mainstream popularity after her standout stint on India’s Got Latent in 2024, whereas Raina routinely integrates his Kashmiri Pandit lineage and his family's exodus from the valley into his stand-up routines.- EndsPublished By: Anurag BohraPublished On: Aug 30, 2026 11:37 IST