Samay Raina Under Fire Again Over Old Joke

Comedian Samay Raina is back in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after a clip from the debut season of India’s Got Latent resurfaced online, triggering a fresh wave of criticism. The video, originally filmed in 2024, began circulating widely on social media just days after the show’s second season launched on Netflix, reigniting old debates about the kind of humour the platform has allowed to air.

What the Old Clip Shows

In the clip, an audience member shares that his girlfriend had to leave the show after learning her father had suffered a minor heart attack. Rather than responding with sympathy, Raina questioned why the man had not accompanied her and then made a crude, sexually suggestive remark implying that offering comfort would result in physical intimacy. The comment drew laughter from both the studio audience and fellow panellists at the time, but is now being viewed very differently by online audiences.

Backlash and Political Reaction

The resurfaced clip has since been compared to the recent “Rs 370 biryani” controversy involving comedian Pranit More, with many users pointing out that both cases reflect a pattern of sexist jokes being normalised under the guise of comedy. Critics argue that such humour trivialises serious issues and indirectly fuels attitudes that contribute to misogyny and violence against women. Former Member of Parliament Priyanka Chaturvedi also weighed in, publicly condemning the clip and questioning why platforms like Netflix and YouTube continue to host content she described as misogynistic.

This is not the first time India’s Got Latent has found itself at the centre of controversy, and the renewed criticism suggests that concerns over the show’s content have not been fully addressed despite previous backlash.