Laughter Chefs 3 contestant Abhishek Kumar has broken his silence on Samarth Jurel’s controversial comment about him, posting an emotional note on Instagram Stories that drew a clear line between on-screen banter and off-screen disrespect.Jurel, who partners with Kumar on the Colors TV cooking show, had earlier told YouTuber Nayandeep Rakshit that Kumar functions like his “servant,” adding that Kumar also does cleaning and helper-type work for Krushna Abhishek and Vicky Jain. Jurel further claimed he was the more skilled cook of the two and joked about Kumar’s tendency to create chaos in the kitchen segments.In his response, Kumar acknowledged that the two often rib each other on camera purely for entertainment value, and said he had watched the interview without reacting publicly at the time. But he noted that his family and extended relatives were upset once they came across Jurel’s remarks, and argued that mocking a friend for laughs on set is not the same as making comments that touch on someone’s dignity in a public interview. He added that he has always held Jurel in high regard as a person, which made the comment sting more.Kumar and Jurel share an unusual backstory. Both were previously linked to actress Isha Malviya, Kumar during Udaariyaan season 1 and Jurel during season 2. Jurel later entered Bigg Boss 17 as a wildcard contestant after Kumar and Malviya’s grand premiere entry, and tensions between the two men escalated on that show, including an incident where Kumar slapped Jurel.The pair eventually reconciled and built a friendship that became one of the more entertaining dynamics on Laughter Chefs, a dynamic now facing a public test.