‘Bigg Boss 19’ has been in the news ever since day 1, and we have been loving all the drama happening inside the BB house. However, while most of the roasts and jokes are taken lightly on the show, sometimes controversial statements are made and there is a huge backlash.
Recently, comedian Jamie Lever’s appearance on ‘Bigg Boss 19’s’ Weekend Ka Vaar has stirred a heated debate on the limits of humour and sensitivity towards mental health. Here is what happened.
This week, Johnny Lever's daughter, Jamie Lever, appeared as Farah Khan on Weekend Ka Vaar. She spoke to the housemates in Farah Khan's style. However, one of her roasts did not go down well with the audience.
While the line may have been intended as a light-hearted jab, many viewers saw it as tone-deaf and deeply insensitive.
Speaking to Tanya on the show, Jamie asked her about where she gets her mental health treatment done from. She said, “You eat baklava from Dubai, biscuits from Britain and dates from Saudi Arabia...I want to ask you... then where do you go to get your treatment done?"
महाकुम्भ को बदनाम करने वाली तान्या को रेल दिया गया है उसी के अंदाज़ मे 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/6rCjnK5tEj
— कल्पना श्रीवास्तव 🇮🇳 (@Lawyer_Kalpana) October 13, 2025
The comment quickly went viral, with social media erupting in criticism. Mental health advocates and fans alike called the remark “disrespectful” and “ignorant,” pointing out that even joking about someone’s emotional well-being on national television sends a damaging message.
To understand how much a careless comment can affect an individual, we spoke to therapist Jyoti Das, who revealed that mocking emotions on national TV fuels stigma, shames vulnerability, normalises insensitivity, and discourages empathy, worsening mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Das said, “Yes, it is taking it too far. Even mentioning somebody’s emotional response in jest is insensitive and unnecessary. We have established that we don’t need to punch down in intelligent comedy. We already live in a very stigmatised and controlling society that doesn’t particularly place value on understanding and processing feelings. In fact, we are taught from a young age to repress and avoid these feelings and be “more productive”. Add to this, the strong influence media has on an average citizen in this country.”
She further added, “In such a situation, asking somebody where they get treated for having an emotional response to being lonely is ignorant and disrespectful. As this is on national television, it subliminally sends the message that emotions must be moderated, somebody who exhibits them can be made fun of and bullied, and devalues empathy.”:
She concluded that such jokes risk harming vulnerable audiences, normalise emotional suppression, and shame natural feeling. This ultimately fuels stigma, reduces empathy and causes long-term socio-emotional challenges in individuals and society.
Jamie Lever’s comment might have been an attempt at light comedy, but it touched a nerve for a reason. So tell us, Was Jamie's "roast" harmless, or can this have far-reaching consequences?
