Following the release of his latest special, Still Alive, stand-up comedian Samay Raina has finally broken his silence on the severe financial and personal fallout of the 2025 ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy. In a candid reflection, Raina revealed that the legal battles and loss of corporate backing pushed him to a breaking point, drawing a stark comparison to Amitabh Bachchan‘s high-profile financial collapse in the late 90s.
Samay Raina discloses losing everything
During a recent Dostcast chat, Samay disclosed that the controversy left him having “lost everything.” He explained, “I lost all the upcoming episodes because everyone was scared and didn’t want their episode to be uploaded. I also lost the sponsors for those episodes. I had already received their payments and invested them in fixed deposits. I had to break those FDs and return the money. I was in a mess.”
Samay Raina shares fears of projects collapsing
The comedian went on to share his ongoing fears during that period. “I had several projects lined up and had even shot for ads, but they asked for their money back. I had also signed a deal with BookMyShow, where they had given me an advance for the entire tour, and all that money was already invested. I was extremely scared. At that time, I didn’t know what I would do. I knew no brand would come on board. My biggest fear was that I would go broke and fall into debt, like what happened with Amitabh Bachchan,” he said.
Amitabh Bachchan’s 90s financial crisis
In the late 1990s, Amitabh Bachchan endured a major financial setback when his Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL) went under. The debacle saddled him with roughly Rs 90 crore in debts. He dealt with numerous legal battles and creditor demands at the time, with reports indicating he nearly lost his house.
‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy erupts in February 2025
Back in February 2025, Ranveer Allahbadia, along with Ashish Chanchlani and Apoorva Mukhija, joined as panellists on Samay Raina’s India’s Got Latent. A comment from Ranveer on parents and sex during the episode triggered huge online outrage. FIRs were lodged against Samay, Ranveer, Apoorva, and Ashish. Samay had to pull the show from YouTube, Ranveer apologized publicly, and in March, the Supreme Court cleared Ranveer to restart his podcast.
Samay Raina reveals the truth behind a controversial joke
In his latest comedy special, Samay revealed that Ranveer repeated the offending joke eight times in the episode, though just one clip made the final cut and ignited the backlash. He confessed the ordeal took a toll on his mental health, making him feel powerless. Even so, Samay has teased a potential second season of ‘India’s Got Latent,’ thrilling fans.
