- Comedian Samay Raina's debut stand-up special Still Alive has crossed 53.4 million views
- The comedy special garnered 22 million views within the first 24 hours of its release
- Raina got into trouble last February after Ranveer Allahbadia's remarks on India's Got Latent
Comedian Samay Raina's stand-up special, Still Alive, has crossed 53.4 million views, emerging as the most-watched full-length stand-up comedy special in the world on a single upload, according to a release.
The comedy special, released on April 7 on YouTube, garnered 22 million views within the first 24 hours of its release. The over one-hour-long special marks Raina's return to comedy following the "India's Got Latent" controversy involving an appearance by YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia.
"Still Alive is the most honest thing I have ever made. I owe every view to the people who never stopped showing up," Raina said in a statement.
Raina got into trouble last February after YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia's remarks on his now-deleted web show India's Got Latent led to a massive furore, both online and offline, with multiple police complaints filed against the two and others involved with the show.
In the special, Raina spoke about the fallout stemming from Allahbadia's joke, the multiple FIRs, and the public and political outrage that led him to delete all the episodes of his popular show from YouTube.
In the special, Raina also spoke about facing childhood bullying, his Kashmiri Pandit identity, mental health struggles, and his relationship with his audience and community.
The 28-year-old comedian also announced the second season of the controversial show in the special.
Ranveer Allahbadia Posts About 'Silence Strategy'
Earlier, Ranveer Allahbadia shared an Instagram clip where he spoke about his journey to becoming an "established YouTuber."
He said, "There are a lot of people who try to pull you back, especially if you are ambitious; people fill you with doubts. Let me tell you one practical thing: when I was 22 years old, I remember people who doubted me a lot. I used to meet them in the gym; some were my relatives, some were my parents' friends."
He continued, "They do nothing even today. All of them. Now, when I look at my own life, I am an established YouTuber, and most importantly, my parents are proud of me. My parents proudly say that 'We did not have to help him at all. He did it all independently and grew by himself."
He captioned the post, "The Silence Strategy. The moment you start levelling up, the world will try to pull you back down. Your only job is to stay deaf to the noise."
ALSO READ: Full Episode: Why Samay Raina Got In Trouble For India's Got Latent
