Sakshi Jha, a Bihar-based teacher and content creator, has become one of the most talked-about contestants following the latest episode of India's Got Latent Season 2. Her performance, in which she described herself as a "man-hater" and centred her set around jokes about men, sparked widespread discussion online.
During her audition, Jha introduced herself by saying, "Main ek man-hater hoon." However, her performance did not receive a positive response from the judging panel, comprising Tanmay Bhat, Vishal Dadlani, Raghu Ram and Yashraj Mehra. The judges unanimously awarded her zero points, making her the first contestant this season to receive no points from the panel. Members of the audience also responded by chanting "Zero" when asked to rate her performance. Despite the reception, Jha rated her own act 8 out of 10.
Following the episode's release, clips from her audition circulated widely across social media, prompting mixed reactions. While some users criticised the act, arguing that jokes targeting an entire gender were inappropriate, others defended her, saying comedy often includes provocative or divisive themes and that audiences are free to agree or disagree.
Has Bihar Govt. Suspended Sakshi Jha Because of Her Comments on India's Got Latent?
Amid the online debate, social media posts began claiming that Sakshi Jha had been suspended from her teaching job in Bihar because of her appearance on the show.The viral claim appears to have originated from an Instagram post by the page Satirelogy, which shared the content as satire for entertainment purposes. Despite its satirical nature, the post was widely misconstrued as genuine news. Several social media users and some news outlets subsequently reported the claim as fact, leading to the spread of false stories alleging that Sakshi Jha had been suspended from her teaching job. However, there has been no official confirmation or credible evidence to support those claims.
The caption of the original post the meme-satire page also read 'This is NOT real news, This post and page is completely satire. This post is meant for entertainment purposes only.'
Even the bio states, '𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗥𝗘'
Despite the clear claims of the news being a satire and not real, several news publishers went on to report it as fact and published ontheir respective websites nd social media, that has led to further the confusion
During her appearance on India's Got Latent, Sakshi Jha described herself as a "man hater" and built her comedy set around that persona. During the performance, she used the expression "chee" ("ew") when referring to "mard" (men) and stated that she dislikes her father, grandfather and brother, adding that she had expressed those feelings to her father. Her remarks formed part of her act and subsequently sparked widespread debate and mixed reactions on social media.
Amid the online backlash, comedian and India's Got Latent creator Samay Raina came out in Sakshi Jha's defence. Sharing a message on social media, he urged people to refrain from personal attacks and wrote, "Be kind to her." His statement came as criticism and misinformation surrounding Jha continued to spread online, with many users debating her performance and the false claims about her alleged suspension. Raina's appeal shifted attention toward the need for empathy and responsible sharing of unverified information.
Rather than commenting on the performance itself, Raina focused on the wave of online abuse directed at Jha, urging people to refrain from personal attacks.
In his message, Raina wrote, "Be kind to her," appealing to viewers to respond with empathy instead of hate. His statement came as Sakshi Jha faced intense criticism across social media, alongside the circulation of false claims that she had been suspended from her teaching job.
Raina's message did not endorse or defend the content of Jha's act. Instead, it emphasized the importance of maintaining civility in online discussions and avoiding harassment of individuals over a comedy performance. His appeal shifted the conversation toward responsible online behaviour and the need to distinguish criticism of a performance from targeted personal abuse.
According to Instagram Stories shared from Sakshi Jha's account, her younger sister said that the statements made during the India's Got Latent audition were part of a scripted comedy act that had been approved by the show's team before filming. The posts also urged viewers to treat the performance as comedy rather than turning it into a larger controversy, stating that jokes should be understood as jokes and not made into a "mudda" (issue). However, on previous occasions the makers of India's Got Latent have clarified that the show is not scripted.
As online discussions around Sakshi Jha continue, the controversy has highlighted both the subjective nature of comedy and the speed at which unverified claims can spread on social media. While her performance on India's Got Latent has received mixed reactions, there is no credible evidence to support the viral claim that she was suspended from her teaching job. The incident also illustrates how satirical content can be mistaken for factual reporting, underscoring the need for audiences and media organisations alike to verify information before publishing or sharing it. Meanwhile, Samay Raina's appeal to "be kind to her" has added another dimension to the conversation, shifting the focus toward responsible online discourse and empathy amid public criticism.
