After much anticipation, controversy, and speculation, India’s Got Latent is finally back! Hosted by comedian Samay Raina, the first episode of Season 2 debuted with a lot of hype thanks in large part to special guests Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, both promoting their upcoming movie, Alpha. This premiere also marked the return of the show after the original season disappeared from the internet amidst backlash and legal issues.
However, within the first few minutes of the premiere, it quickly becomes clear that this new season does not possess the same level of chaotic magic that made Season 1 such a huge cultural hit.
The emotional rollercoaster that the original India’s Got Latent experienced on a weekly basis was due to sheer unpredictability. Each week there was always an opportunity to see someone make you laugh uncontrollably, shock you completely, or create a meme-worthy moment. Season 2 continues to have some of this unpredictable energy; however, those moments occur too infrequently to establish the same kind of chaos as seen before. Overall, the episode often feels more controlled (more polished) while at times being too self-aware of the environment around it.
The perception of the show was most likely influenced by the presence of special guest stars. While Alia and Sharvari contributed star power to this episode, the fact that they were there also fundamentally changed the flow of the entire room. Conversations were generally safe, jokes seemed to have been rehearsed, and several of the interactions appeared to lead up to pre-planned punch lines vs, organically occurring comedic moments. This concern has also been echoed by the online audience, with many commenting on how this episode was more scripted than past episodes.
In particular, Alia appeared to be quite uncomfortable at various points during the episode. It may have been a combination of all these factors that caused her to rarely seem at ease throughout the show’s duration or simply the type of unique humor provided on the show. Although Sharvari appeared to exhibit more willingness to engage, she could not do enough to bridge the gap between the style of Bollywood promotional engagements and the intensity of energy created in the past by random internet users.
The ironic part was that many of the funniest moments of the episode came from contestants rather than the celebrity panel members. For example, a Donald Trump impersonator was able to steal the spotlight and deliver the unbelievably absurd style of humor that originally attracted viewers to the show Latent.
To say the return of the series has failed would not be accurate either – laughter exists, there are some great acts performed, and many entertaining scenes will keep fans engaged; however, the first episode of Season 2 feels like the show is trying to find its way between an identity of appealing to a broader audience vs remaining true to its original rebelliousness and does not seem capable of achieving both as of yet.
In this case, the first episode of Season 2 will be a suitable return to television for this show but it would not be regarded as “the ultimate, most incredible” return. There is still chaos within the show, however, this season has made an effort to tone down the unpredictable behaviour exhibited in years past.
