Comedian Samay Raina recently broke the internet with his new comedy special, Still Alive, following last year’s India’s Got Latent controversy. In a recent conversation with Dostcast, Samay spoke about how the controversy affected him financially and recalled fearing that he might go bankrupt like Amitabh Bachchan.
Samay Raina recalls being in financial mess after India’s Got Latent controversy
Samay revealed that he “lost everything” due to the controversy. He said, “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.”
The comedian further opened up about living in constant fear. “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 went through a severe financial crisis in the late 1990s after his company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL), collapsed. The failed venture reportedly left him with debts of around ₹90 crore. During that period, he was involved in multiple legal cases and faced pressure from creditors, with reports suggesting he was on the verge of losing his home.
About India’s Got Latent controversy
In February 2025, YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia and content creators Ashish Chanchlani and Apoorva Mukhija appeared as panellists on Samay Raina’s India’s Got Latent. During the show, a remark by Ranveer about parents and sex sparked massive backlash online. Multiple FIRs were filed against Samay, Ranveer, Apoorva and Ashish. Samay was forced to remove the show from YouTube, and Ranveer later issued a public apology. In March, the Supreme Court allowed Ranveer to resume his podcast.
In his recent comedy special, Samay claimed that Ranveer had cracked the controversial joke eight times during the episode, but only one instance was retained, which eventually sparked the outrage. He also admitted that the situation affected his mental health and left him feeling helpless. Despite the setback, Samay has hinted at a second season of India’s Got Latent, leaving fans excited.
