Comedian Trevor Noah slammed as ‘racist’ for India-Pakistan joke

Trevor Noah, the host of “The Daily Show,” raised eyebrows after he joked that a war between Pakistan and India would “probably be the most entertaining” of all time, saying that Indian soldiers would enter battle dancing Bollywood style.

“It would be the longest war of all time,” he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Another dance number?”

Swara Bhasker, an Indian actress, called Noah’s comments “ignorant and racist.” She reportedly said, “Ur set smacks of essentialism & a patronizing generalization.” Another Indian comedian wrote, “If you’re going to be a racist comic than at least get the comic bit right.”

Most of the comments were posted on Twitter. Noah responded to one, “I am sorry that this hurt you and others, that’s not what I was trying to do.”

At least eight civilians and two soldiers have been killed in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir since tensions soared following India’s airstrike last Tuesday inside Pakistan. India said the strike targeted militants behind a Feb. 14 suicide bombing in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed more than 40 Indian troops.

Pakistan retaliated, shooting down a fighter jet on Wednesday and detaining its pilot, who was returned to India on Friday. India, in turn, on Saturday handed over the body of a Pakistani civilian prisoner beaten to death by inmates in a jail in India last week. The man, Skahir Ullah, was buried Sunday in his home village of Sialkot in Punjab province.

Noah said he used comedy to "process pain and discomfort.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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