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Mumbai: India’s Got Latent returned with a new episode featuring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, but instead of the raw, unpredictable chaos that fans expected from Samay Raina’s show, the episode has sparked a different reaction online. Many viewers now feel that the show has started looking more polished, more controlled and a little too safe.

The biggest talking point was how the episode felt more like a mainstream promotional setup than the original Latent format. Samay had earlier mentioned in his special, “paise bohot kama liye, abhi show banaunga,” but the new episode came with visible brand integrations and also featured Alia Bhatt and Sharvari promoting their upcoming film Alpha.

The panel too did not seem to be in its usual unfiltered zone. The jokes were fewer, the energy felt dry in parts and the overall vibe looked more cautious than chaotic. However, two acts managed to bring some life into the episode. Sukrut Deo, who played the drunkard character, had a fun stage presence, while Avinash Agarwal, who came dressed as Donald Trump, became one of the highlights of the episode and also went on to win it.

Avinash delivered some of the sharper moments of the episode. When Alia Bhatt was struggling to speak at one point, he joked, “Someone give her a script.” When she could not pop the party popper, he added, “Someone call in the action director.” Another moment came when Sharvari spoke to him excitedly in a high pitch, and he replied in Trump style, “Don’t shout, that’s why I don’t like when women get empowered.”

But despite these moments, we feel the episode did not carry the same fearless Latent flavour. One scene that caught attention was when Sukrut Deo walked in as the drunkard character and Samay appeared to check with Alia before making a “Mahesh Bhatt walked in” joke.

For many viewers, that moment summed up the issue: everyone seemed careful, and the show no longer felt as unhinged as before.

Social media comments also reflected the same mood. Several fans called the episode “boring”, “too safe”, “scripted” and even “HR-approved”. One user wrote that Alia Bhatt did not fit this kind of comedy format, while another said the episode had lost the “Samay Raina wali energy”. Some also felt that the show had toned itself down after moving into a bigger, more mainstream space.

Overall, the episode had a few funny moments, especially because of Sukrut Deo and Avinash Agarwal, but it did not fully deliver the madness fans associate with India’s Got Latent. That said, it is still too soon to pass final judgement on the new season. Fans will now hope Samay brings back the unhinged comedy, plays it less safe and keeps the brand integrations from taking over the show.