'Recorded My Apology Nine Times, Felt Like A Dead Body': Samay Raina On His Toughest Days After India's Got Latent Row

Comedian Samay Raina revealed the toll of the India's Got Latent row: "I was like a dead body, zoned out... crying all the time" in freezing Canada.

Samay Raina opens up about feeling “like a dead body” after the India’s Got Latent controversy.

Source : Youtube

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Samay Raina discussed India's Got Latent controversy aftermath on podcast.
• Backlash led to immense mental distress and isolation, says Raina.
• Raina wrote and performed his 'Still Alive' special, finding healing.
• Friends offered support during his difficult period and recovery.

Stand-up comedian Samay Raina has bared his soul about the dark days after the India's Got Latent controversy. In a raw podcast chat, he reveals feeling like a "dead body," crying endlessly in freezing Canada, and struggling to even record an apology. Days after dropping his comeback special Still Alive on YouTube, Raina says writing it "healed" him—but the pain from last year's backlash still lingers. What pushed him to the edge? Read on to know more.

Samay Raina Spoke On India's Got Latent Controversy

Just days after releasing his new stand-up special Still Alive on YouTube, popular comedian Samay Raina opened up in a candid podcast interview with Vaibhav Munjal on Chalchitra Talks, also known as The Longest Interview. The chat took place at Mumbai's Habitat, run by his friend Balraj Ghai, the same spot where India's Got Latent was filmed. 

The trouble began in February 2025 when a clip from India's Got Latent went viral. Podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia made controversial comments about parents and sex, sparking massive outrage, protests, debates, and even FIRs against Raina, Allahbadia, and other panellists. 

Samay Raina On Still Alive Stand - Up

Raina shared how the backlash broke him mentally. "I'm like this today because of that (writing Still Alive). Balraj has seen me. I was like a dead body. I was just zoned out. I am just looking around. Just depersonalised, detached from the world. Just looking at people smiling and feeling like s**t," he told Munjal. 

He hit rock bottom during a tough Canada tour. "Ten days, 10 shows and it was minus 27 degrees Celsius. We were in Edmonton, Calgary and I was dead at that time. I was just crying all the time. I was just f****ng demotivated. I would just be in my room," Raina recalled. Balraj Ghai couldn't join due to visa issues, making it worse. 

After Allahbadia's apology, Raina's lawyer urged him to record one too. "I recorded that apology nine times... At that time, I was just doing whatever people were saying. I was just f***ed," he admitted. 

Yet, Raina turned pain into art. He wrote Still Alive in just two months, his best work yet. "Itna pain tha... Warna special likhne ke liye saal, do saal lagte hain. Do mahine mein likh ke, ready karke, tight karke, tour kar diya (I was in so much pain... Otherwise it takes a year or two to write a special. I wrote this special in two months, readied it, tightened it, and went on tour with it)," he said. Writing it "healed" him, he added. 

Friends like Vir Das and Tanmay Bhat supported him, Das told him to "write it all down," while Bhat stayed in touch constantly. Playing guitar and poker also helped him cope. Raina's story shows resilience amid comedy's tough side.