Comedian Samay Raina has attracted police attention as a viral YouTube clip from his show India's Got Latent, which hosted Ranveer Allahbadia as its guest, sparked massive backlash for an explicit remark.
These claims have led Raina, influencer Apoorva Mukhija, show organisers, as well as their own Allahbadia, for obscenity among other charges regarding derogatory remark against women based on monetary factors. The claim has been reportedly filed with both the Mumbai police commissioner and at the Maharashtra Commission for Women ANI.
Who is Samay Raina?
Samay Raina is a stand-up comedian known for his dark humor and unfiltered style. He belongs to Kashmiri Pandit family native to Jammu and Kashmir and began posting his comedy videos online on YouTube at the age of 16.
Samay did print engineering at PVG's COET at Pune, but stand-up comedy got the better of him. He broke out into the scene in 2019 when he emerged victorious in Comicstaan Season 2. There were two title holders: Samay Raina and Aakash Gupta.
From comedy to Chess: Raina's rise to fame
During the COVID-19 epidemic, Raina shifted his focus to chess streaming on YouTube, where he worked with top players including Viswanathan Anand, Magnus Carlsen, Vidit Gujrathi, and Anish Giri. He hosted online chess tournaments like Comedians on Board (COB) series and conducted games with celebrities such as cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal.
In 2021, he won the Botez Bullet Invitational, a USD 10,000 chess event hosted by Chess.com. He later co-founded the Chess Super League (CSL) with ChessBase India and Nodwin Gaming, which featured top Indian and international players competing for a Rs 40 lakh prize pool.
India's Got Latent: The show at the center of controversy
In June 2024, Raina hosted a reality-comedy show called India's Got Latent, which questions talent within a dark-humor theme. The reality show gained a cult following, with some of its episodes crossing 40 million views on YouTube.
Incited by success, Raina launched the India's Got Latent app, which contains uncensored content. The app topped the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
But it is under controversy now due to some remarks during a recent episode that got police action and brought up a debate on the limits of humor and free speech in digital content.
What's next for Samay Raina?
Despite the controversy, Raina is still in touch with his audience and preparing for an international tour. He has more than 10 million followers across all the social media platforms and remains one of the important figures in India's stand-up comedy and digital entertainment scenario.
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