Comedian Samay Raina has finally broken his silence on the India’s Got Latent controversy. He also pointed out that Apoorva Mukhija, popularly known as The Rebel Kid, faced severe backlash. He revealed that Apoorva had been slapped with three FIRs and had also received rape threats for responding to a man’s remarks in his own language and being at his place. Despite the controversy, Samay expressed admiration for his courage and composure.In his latest stand-up special Samay Raina Still Alive, he relived the moment that sparked the uprising. A rapper made an inappropriate comment directed at Apoorva, “V**ina main sensation khatam ho gayi hai kya?” While Samay initially assumed that the statement would be edited, Apoorva immediately responded, “Kabhi va**na dekhi hai maa se nikalne ke baad, [expletive]?”
Reflecting on her answer, Samay admitted that she was surprised and a little envious. “Kya punchline maari usne. What a comeback at that moment. Chaar 4 comedian fail kar diya usne. I was very jealous. But I was very proud of him, also what a comeback at that moment.”He went on to explain that the exchange had a deeper meaning beyond the honest retort. “Kuch cheeze hoti hain na yaar, voh life main layers main hoti hai. Surface level chodo na yaar, Apoorva, the rapper, that wasn’t the moment. The moment was deeper, bigger than that. It wasn’t Apoorva giving back to a rapper from Gwalior. It was a woman standing up for herself and winning against a man.”See more: Samay Raina reveals that Ranveer Allahbadia asked that ‘parent’ question 8 times on India’s Got Latent: “Yeh toh bohot gandi baatein kari”Emphasizing the larger societal context, Samay added, “Bhai, iss patriarchal setup main, jahan koi espero nahi karta aurto ka kuch bolna, uss ladki ne ussi ki bhasha main… He won. He lost it. It was a powerful moment. Mereko goosebumps aa gaye… Maine voh party popper liya, Apoorva ke sar (head) pe phoda… 3 FIR. That is the price for women to stand up for themselves,” said Samay Raina.When the controversy first broke, reactions were divided. While some criticized Apoorva online, many others rallied behind him, arguing that he simply responded in kind. Several voices also condemned the extreme reaction, stating that targeting her and her family with rape and death threats was unjustifiable and should be called out harshly.
