Comedian Samay Raina has opened up about the controversy surrounding India’s Got Latent, taking sharp digs at critics including Sunil Pal, B Praak, and Mukesh Khanna, while defending his style of comedy in his latest special Still Alive.
‘Playing a clean character is unnatural for me’
Using his earlier Kaun Banega Crorepati anecdote as context, Samay explained how his comedic identity is rooted in irreverent humour. “Playing a clean character is unnatural for me,” he implied, stressing that toning himself down feels inauthentic.He connected this to the backlash around India’s Got Latent, particularly involving Ranveer Allahbadia, aka BeerBiceps. “Ek clean banda kabhi kabhi h*rami nahi ban sakta internet pe,” he said.Drawing a metaphor, he added, “Non-vegetarian veg kha sakta hai, vegetarian non-veg khayega ulti hi karega,” explaining why audiences often reject sudden shifts in personality.
Opens up on ‘India’s Got Latent’ fallout
Talking about the controversy, Samay claimed that an FIR was filed against Ranveer Allahbadia for stepping outside his established image. He jokingly called him “the monk who sold my Ferrari,” blaming him for derailing the show.He further explained that the backlash stemmed from breaking a persona built over years. “Hum Kashmiri cross fire me hi marte hain,” he said, adding, “It broke me like anything,” referring to his decision to take the show down in India.Samay also revealed that he received support from Pakistan after the show was removed.Describing India’s Got Latent as raw and largely unscripted, he said, “Bhot gandi gandi baatein keh dete the” to be funny, while adding that he tried to “play safe” by carefully editing episodes and interacting with panelists after shoots.
Takes digs at critics and industry
Recalling the reactions, Samay said, “Sab aa gaye the khane hamko — politician, celebrities, Sunil Pal,” adding that Sunil advised him to learn from Kapil Sharma, who he joked was “khud agle episode me aa rahe the.”He also took digs at others, including B Praak and Mukesh Khanna, quipping, “Shaktiman aa gaya tha yaar. Shaktiman se kaise ladenge,” while criticising what he called attempts to gain limelight during the controversy.Commenting on how the issue escalated, Samay made a sharp remark: “India is not a platform to showcase your art.” Concluding the show, Samay said he couldn’t have asked for a better end to India’s Got Latent Season 1, while hinting that Season 2 is likely to drop on YouTube soon.
