Just around a month ago, when the first episode of Two Much aired, I was happy to see that the show brought two famously unapologetic women together to ask all the right questions that other male-hosted talk shows were missing. This wasn’t just my conclusion; it was the premise of the show. But just one episode in, it started going viral for all the wrong reasons. The controversy surrounding Two Much has taken over the internet. But it wasn’t meant to be a trainwreck, so where did it go wrong?

Too much talk, not enough thought

The cracks started to appear during Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan’s episode, when Kajol said, “Actors work much harder than 9-to-5 employees”. The comment didn’t sit well with the audience (who, incidentally, are mostly 9-to-5 employees themselves). However, the internet decided to mostly ignore that comment. But soon, the show gave us another reason to say, “WTF” — the now infamous “physical cheating isn’t a deal-breaker” remark. It could have been an interesting conversation about emotional versus physical cheating, how social media affects trust, and how relationships change with age. But instead of exploring all that, one quick comment became the headline. Twinkle Khanna joked, “Raat gayi, baat gayi.”

People online began arguing about whether she was “normalising cheating,” and the actual topic got lost. What could have been a thoughtful discussion about trust and relationships turned into yet another viral moment. If the show truly wants to ask questions that matter to women, it has to be willing to go deeper and not reduce serious issues to quick jokes or memes.

Two Much controversy

Before we could move past the cheating remark, the show gave us another reason to sigh and wonder, “Which women is this show really catering to?” The episode with Farah Khan and Ananya Panday presented a textbook opportunity for meaning: a cross-generational exchange on career, relevance, and the pressures of the film industry. What could have been a really meaningful conversation among four women of different ages and professions, navigating the sexism that runs rampant in the industry, turned into another missed opportunity.

Farah Khan opened up about facing harassment from a certain director when she was choreographing for his movie. But all that got buried under the “relevance” question. Kajol said to Farah Khan, “You’re still relevant today.” Farah’s response was calm but powerful. She said she didn’t like the word “relevant” because every person matters, even if they’re not constantly working or in the spotlight. Her answer flipped the idea completely, showing that relevance isn’t about fame or work, but about self-worth. It was a subtle reminder that people don’t lose their value just because they’re not trending.

But that’s not all. With both hosts joining forces with Farah to mock Gen Z, the episode became a perfect example of everything wrong with the show. Then came the part about mental health. All three dismissed Ananya’s point about the Gen-Z perspective, claiming that young people today are “traumatised by everything.” It could have been an insightful conversation about how emotional awareness has evolved, how social media shapes it, and when awareness turns into performance. Instead, it got reduced to a joke.

The sacrifice of substance for virality

Of course, this doesn’t mean Two Much should stop being funny or avoid controversial topics. But if you keep dismissing serious conversations just to appear witty, the show loses the very essence it promises to uphold. The easy banter between the hosts and guests is what makes the show fun, but the issue is balance. The show needs to make space for real depth, not just quick viral moments that grab attention but lose meaning.

Like many talk shows today, Two Much has sacrificed substance at the altar of virality. What really matters now isn’t whether the show will continue to trend; it’s whether anyone will still care about what they’re saying.

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