The controversy surrounding Samay Raina’s viral show ‘India’s Got Latent’ has reached a new peak in April 2026. What began as a record-breaking digital talent show has evolved into a national debate on the boundaries of comedy, involving multiple FIRs and high-profile legal action. Now, Samay has addressed the issue in his special ‘Still Alive’, while Mukesh Khanna has strongly criticised him. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the timeline, the viral remarks, and the current fallout.
About ‘India’s Got Latent’
‘India’s Got Latent’ launched as a unique YouTube talent show blending comedy, roasting, and unconventional performances. Contestants performed for 90 seconds and predicted their own scores. The show stood out for its rotating panel of judges and emphasis on humour-driven critique rather than serious evaluation. It quickly gained popularity with several episodes crossing millions of views.
Ranveer Allahbadia ‘s remark and the resulting social media backlash
According to NDTV, the turning point occurred during a members-only episode in early 2025. Guest judge and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps asked a contestant a highly explicit and inappropriate “would you rather” question regarding their parents’ sex life. The clip went viral, triggering an immediate wave of outrage. Critics labelled the content vulgar and offensive, arguing it crossed the line from edgy comedy to absolute obscenity. In his recent special, Samay revealed that Allahbadia actually asked the objectionable question eight times during the shoot. While Samay edited out 99% of the “rubbish,” the one segment he retained was enough to spark a national crisis.
FIRs, legal action and political reactions
According to Deccan Herald, multiple FIRs were filed against Samay Raina, Ranveer Allahbadia, and other panelists including Ashish Chanchlani and Apoorva Makhija, popularly known as The Rebel Kid across various states. The National Commission for Women (NCW) issued notices, and the Maharashtra Cyber Cell initiated a deep inquiry. High-ranking officials, including Maharashtra’s leadership, publicly addressed the need for content regulation.
Show deletion, losses and digital fallout
Later Samay Raina deleted all episodes of ‘India’s Got Latent’ from his YouTube channel. The move reportedly resulted in a loss of hundreds of millions of views. Ranveer Allahbadia witnessed a sharp drop in followers across platforms, while Samay’s subscriber count continued to grow.
Samay Raina’s ‘Still Alive’ statements and mental health
Now, in his special ‘Still Alive,’ Samay Raina spoke candidly about the controversy and its impact on his life. He said, “Mera poora mental health kharab kardi usne, usko toh meditation bhi aata hai, kuch bhi nahi aata mujhe toh”. (“He completely ruined my mental health. He even knows meditation, but I don’t know anything at all.”) He added, “Meri fatke char ho gayi… I was like oh f**. There is a possibility itne saal mein jo bhi main kamaya that will go to sh*t.“(“I completely freaked out… I was like, oh f**. There was a possibility that everything I’ve earned over all these years would go to sh*t.”)Describing the criticism, he stated, “All the irrelevant people trying to get some limelight by kicking the f***ing dead at that time.” He also remarked, “Shaktimaan agaya tha uss time. Shaktimaan se kaise ladenge bhai. He said baccho ka kaisa hoga aise content dekhke.” (Shaktimaan showed up at that time. How can we fight Shaktimaan, brother? He said, what will happen to kids if they watch such content?)Reflecting on the situation, he said, “This whole incident was the most insane and probably the most important one. I am so glad it happened.”Samay also confirmed plans to revive the show, stating, “Let me rephrase – isse high point pe mere show ka season 1 end ho sakta tha.” He added, “Show toh main launga bhai kyunki maza aata tha woh show karne mein. Ab main jab tak hoon iss duniya mein bas maze karne hain. I will do a wild, wild show.” ((I will definitely bring the show back, brother, because I used to have so much fun doing it. Now, for as long as I am in this world, I just want to have fun.)
Mukesh Khanna’s criticism and industry reactions
Amid the ongoing controversy, Mukesh Khanna strongly criticised Samay Raina through a social media post.Khanna wrote, “Kutte ki dum tedhi rehti hai. Use lakh sheeshiyon mein rakho. Bahar nikaalo. Phir tedhi ki tedhi!! Samay Raina ki bhi ek dum hai. Kitna bhi maaro, seedha karo, woh wapas tedhi ho jaati hai. Kyonki woh seedha saada praani nahin hai. Woh roasted praani hai. Gandagi ki aag mein jalaya hua, pakaya hua.” (A dog’s tail always stays crooked. Keep it in a thousand tubes, take it out andd it’s still crooked. Samay Raina is just like that. No matter how much you try to straighten him, he goes back to being the same. Because he’s not a simple, straightforward person he’s a ‘roasted’ one, burned and cooked in the fire of filth.)Khanna further added, “Poore desh ne lataada, maara. Phir aa gaya besharmon ki tarah. Aur maar khaane. Ab ek hi cheez baaki hai. Uska munh kaala kar gadhe par bitha kar desh bhar ke shehron mein, galiyon mein uski parade karni chahiye. Jahan bachche usko ande, tamatar maarein. Kyonki usne unke superhero Shaktimaan ka apmaan kiya hai!!!” (“The entire country scolded him and thrashed him, yet he has come back shamelessly only to get beaten again. Now only one thing remains: blacken his face, make him sit on a donkey, and parade him through cities and streets across the country, where children should throw eggs and tomatoes at him because he insulted their superhero Shaktimaan!!!”)Despite the FIRs and the ongoing feud with industry veterans, Samay Raina has officially confirmed Season 2 is in development. He promises a “wild, wild” version, signaling that while he may have been “down,” his brand of provocative comedy is far from out.Disclaimer: The information regarding the legal proceedings, FIRs, and public controversies mentioned in this article is based on reports from various media outlets and social media statements. This content is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an endorsement of any party’s views.
