- Samay Raina's stand-up special 'Still Alive' sheds light on the India's Got Latent controversy
- The controversy began after a comment by Ranveer Allahbadia on the show led to backlash and its shutdown
- Samay shared emotional moments with his parents during the crisis, highlighting his father's calm nature
Samay Raina is back in the spotlight. Clips from his stand-up special, Still Alive, are currently going viral on Instagram, drawing praise for their emotional honesty and depth. In the episode, Samay shed light on several deeply personal moments, especially in the wake of the India's Got Latent controversy, while also opening up about his Kashmiri Pandit roots and his relationship with his parents.
The stand-up comedian revealed how what he called "Kashmiri Pandit wisdom" - rooted in his family's history of loss, displacement, and quiet endurance - helped him navigate the backlash surrounding India's Got Latent.
Revisiting The India's Got Latent Controversy
In the special, Samay revisits the period when the controversy around India's Got Latent erupted. At the time, he was in the United States on tour with his friend Balraj Ghai, who owns Habitat, the venue where the show was shot.
During the trip, Samay began receiving calls from the police regarding the case linked to the show. The controversy had begun after podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, also known as BeerBiceps, appeared as a guest on one of the episodes and made a remark about parents and sex. The comment sparked massive backlash and multiple FIRs and eventually led to the show being shut down.
At the beginning of the episode, Samay distanced himself from the incident, saying, "Hum Kashmiri crossfire mein hi marte hain... Hell broke loose..." ("We Kashmiris die in crossfire anyway... Hell broke loose...")
An Emotional Call From His Mother
Recalling the moment he received news about the fallout, Samay spoke about receiving a call from his mother. "Iss moment meri maa ka video call aa gaya. Kya dikhaun maa ko ki main ro raha hoon? She is the most innocent soul I have met." (At that moment, my mother video-called me. What do I show her - that I am crying? She is the most innocent soul I have ever met.)
He went on to share an anecdote that reflected her simplicity and pride. "Main jab KBC mein gaya tha, unko broadcast message karna nahi aata. She sent individually sabko ki mere beta KBC mein aa raha hai." (When I went to KBC, she didn't know how to send broadcast messages, so she sent individual messages to everyone saying, 'My son is coming on KBC.') Samay eventually decided to video call his mother.
A Father Sending Memes In The Middle Of Grief
While speaking to his mother, Samay noticed something unexpected. His father sending memes during the emotional moment. "Baap meme bhej raha hai. Maa kasam bhai, hum ro rahe hai and phone pe ting-ting-ting-ting." (My father was sending memes. I swear, we were crying and the phone kept going ting-ting.)
"I was like, 'Papa, kya bhej rahe hai?' and Papa meme bhej rahe hai." (I was wondering what my father was sending - and it was memes.)
"Toh mujhe suddenly hit hua, baap hai toh launda hi, sigma male ban raha hoga. Andar kamre mein ro raha hoga aur mere samne kar raha hoga - ye lo meme, main theek hoon." (It suddenly struck me - he's a father but also just a guy. He must be trying to be a 'sigma male'. Crying alone inside the room while showing me memes as if to say, 'Here, take this; I'm fine.')
Concerned, Samay asked his mother to look after his father. "Toh maine bola mummy ko ki papa ka dhyan rakho, woh mere samne strong ban raha hai..." (So I told my mother to take care of my father - he's pretending to be strong in front of me, just like I was doing in front of you.)
His Mother's Blunt Reality Check
Samay then recalled his mother's unexpectedly witty response. "Meri Maa ne itni funny baat boli..." (My mother said something so funny.) "Ye jo maturity tu aapne baap se dhundh raha hai na, ye dhundhte dhundhte main buddhi ho chuki hoon." (The maturity you are looking for in your father - I have grown old looking for it.) "Ye mujhe bhi meme hi bhej raha hai beta. Isko koi farak nahi padha, baniyan mein hass raha hai andar." (He's sending memes to me as well. It didn't affect him at all - he's laughing inside, wearing a vest.)
"Mera Kashmir Mein Ghar Chala Gaya, Main Tab Nahi Roya"
Samay then decided to call his father directly. "Maine papa ko call kiya ki kya kar rahe ho, papa? Mera show chala gaya, sab chala gaya, aap hass rahe ho?" (I called my father and asked, 'What are you doing, Dad? My show is gone, everything is gone, and you're laughing?')
His father replied calmly, "Mera Kashmir mein ghar chala gaya, main tab nahi roya." (My house in Kashmir was lost, and I didn't cry then.)
Recalling the moment, Samay said, "Papa ko koi emotion nahi, aansu nahi, papa was just chill. Baki sab ghabraye hue." (My father had no visible emotion, no tears. He was just calm while everyone else was panicking.)
A Lesson On Perspective And Manhood
Samay shared that he spoke to his father for over an hour. "I told him everything... Papa was such a rock in that moment." "He asked, 'Ro kyun raha hai yaar, show hi toh bandh hua hai.'" (Why are you crying? It's just a show that's been shut.)
Samay's father told him, "The show exists because of you; you don't exist because of the show," and this gave Samay immense strength. He added, "He was just making me laugh. He made me feel so loved and cared and protective. I said, 'I love you papa.' Keh rahe - chalo good night. Baap thodi I love you bolega bete ko." (He said, 'Okay, good night.' A father won't really say 'I love you' to his son.)
Reflecting on male emotional conditioning, Samay addressed the audience and added, "Ye kyun hota hai ladko..." (Do you know why this happens to men?) "Ye jo raste mein nikle ho na abhi...'mard hoon main', Tumhara baap iss raste ki finish line mein khada hai." (Your father is standing at the finish line of the road you just started walking on.) "You keep suppressing your emotions, you will grow up into a man who will be emotionally stunted."
Samay Raina And His 'Kashmiri Pandit Wisdom'
In the same episode, Samay spoke at length about his Kashmiri Pandit background. " "My mom and dad got married in Kashmir. Early 90s. Mere papa uss time media mein bohot achche post pe the. Rs 15,000 kamate the... DD Kashmir channel tha. He was a very respected person."
He then recounted the rise of militancy and the family's forced displacement. "Then wahan pe militancy hui, you know what happened. Then we had to leave the valley. 1991 pe papa left Kashmir and went to Delhi par unko mann nahi laga. They went back in 1996 and in 1997 I was born and 1998 pe hamare ghar pe goli chali and raaton raat he had to leave for his family, for us. He left and search of a job he landed in Hyderabad." (Militancy happened there... in 1998, bullets were fired at our house and we had to leave overnight.)
Samay offered a stark reflection on survival. "Hum 5 per cent the Kashmir mein Pandits." (We were just five per cent of Kashmir's population.) "Agar haatiyar utha leta na... toh sab marr gaye hote." (If my parents had taken up weapons, we would all have died.)
He added, "I am so glad all the Kashmiri Pandits fled the Valley overnight. Today we are all alive."
While describing how the India's Got Latent controversy unfolded, Samay Raina said that he apologised for the remark and explained his response using what he called "Kashmiri Pandit wisdom". He said, "You only fight when a fight is fair and you've a chance of winning. When it's not fair, you f*** off from there. Kashmiri Pandit wisdom."
Towards the end, Samay announced that he will bring back India's Got Latent for another run but will take away the audiences' phones.
Also Read: After Samay Raina's Viral Episode, Ranveer Allahbadia Posts About 'Silence Strategy': "My Parents Are Proud Of Me"
