New Delhi: Comedian Samay Raina announces the return of his YouTube show India’s Got Latent, 14 months after the first season sparked significant controversy in February 2025.
Multiple FIRs were filed against panellists, including Ranveer Allahbadia and Ashish Chanchlani, due to their “vulgar, sexually explicit, and insensitive” jokes. It prompted cyber cell investigations and public apologies, and Raina removed all episodes from his YouTube channel.
Raina returned with his first special, Still Alive, on his YouTube channel on 7 April. Toward the end of the one-hour and 21-minute show, Raina said, “As far as India’s Got Latent is considered, I swear I thought a lot about it. I don’t think my show could have ended on a higher note.”
He, then, quickly amended his statement, saying, “Let me rephrase that, I don’t think season one of my show could have ended in a better way.”
The announcement resulted in applause and cheers from the audience for several minutes.
“Show toh mau launga bhai kyunki maza aata tha voh show karne. Aur mai jab tak hu is duniya mai mujhe maze karne hai. (I will bring back the show because I really enjoyed it. And, now whatever time I am on this planet, I just want to have fun). I will do a wild show. On the internet, I will cut and post a softie version. I will do a wild, wild show and will take away all your phones. And, the first question I will ask the contestants, ‘Would you rather….’,” the comedian added.
Also Read: Ranveer Allahbadia vs Kunal Kamra over India’s Got Latent. ‘Stop milking this’
‘36 melatonin tablets’
During the show, Raina addressed the controversy and explained how it intensified when Allahbadia stepped away from his usual clean, self-help persona. He pointed out what he saw as society’s hypocrisy, arguing that while someone with a carefully curated “good” image is harshly judged for turning edgy, a person with a “bad” image, making a positive shift often goes unquestioned.
He even playfully referred to Allahbadia as “the monk who sold my Ferrari,” suggesting that the backlash stemmed from audiences feeling betrayed by a person they had trusted for years.
Raina also referenced his Kashmiri identity to crack a few jokes. The comedian said that he got dragged in even though he didn’t make the statement.
“Hum Kashmiri crossfire me hi marte hain (We, Kashmiris, always die in the crossfire),” he said, and went on to share what he described as “Kashmiri Pandit wisdom.”
“Only fight when the fight is fair. When you have a chance of winning. When the fight is not fair, you f**k off from there,” Raina added.
He also opened up about the emotional impact the fiasco had on him. Admitting that it “broke” him, he spoke about the difficult decision to take the show down. When the controversy blew up, Raina revealed he took half a bottle of melatonin (36 tablets) to sleep and often had anxiety attacks.
At several points during the special, Raina became emotional while discussing the backlash his parents endured. One moment stood out in particular, when he teared up while recalling a video shared with him by Balraj Sahni’s wife of the Habitat Comedy Club. In the clip, he said, Sahni’s parents were seen pleading with police and protestors, insisting they were not at fault and asking to be let go.
“That video broke me,” he said.
Describing India’s Got Latent as unfiltered and chaotic, Raina shared that each episode ran for nearly five hours, with a significant portion being highly controversial. He candidly admitted that the conversations often crossed lines, but maintained that he tried to strike a balance, especially off-camera, to avoid going too far. As for Allahbadia’s question, Raina said that throughout the show, the podcaster had asked the same question eight to nine times. But only one of them made it to the final cut.
“It’s like I killed 99 per cent germs, but that one per cent,” he laughed.
The special also saw Raina responding to critics and public figures who weighed in during the controversy. He pointed out how politicians, celebrities, and fellow comedians quickly joined in the criticism.
Taking a dig at comedian Sunil Pal, Raina recalled how he learned from fellow comedian Kapil Sharma, ironically, someone who was set to appear on the show soon after. He didn’t hold back while addressing others either, including singer B Praak and actor Mukesh Khanna, whom he accused of seeking attention during the uproar.
Despite the public fallout, Raina and Pal collaborated on an advertisement earlier this year.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)