After the release of his latest special, Still Alive, stand-up comedian Samay Raina has finally broken his silence on the serious financial and personal impact of the 2025 ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy. In a candid reflection, Raina revealed that legal battles and the loss of corporate protection had pushed him to the breaking point, drawing a stark comparison. Amitabh BachchanThe high-profile financial collapse of the late 90s.
Samay Raina says she has lost everything
In a recent Dostcast chat, Samay revealed that the controversy has left him “losing everything”. He explained: “I missed all the next episodes because everyone was scared and didn’t want his episode to go up. I also lost the sponsors of 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 the fear of project collapse
The comedian shared his constant fears during that time. “I had several projects lined up and even shot commercials, but they asked me to return the money. I also signed a deal with BookMyShow where they gave me an advance for the entire tour, and all that money was already invested. I was very scared. At that time, I didn’t know what I was going to do. I knew no brand would come in. It happened with Amitabh Bachchan,” he said.
Amitabh Bachchan’s 90s financial crisis
In the late 1990s, Amitabh Bachchan suffered a major financial setback when his Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL) collapsed. The debacle left him about 90 million in debt. He faced numerous legal battles and demands from creditors at the time, with reports that he almost lost his home.
The ‘India’s Got Latent’ debate erupted in February 2025
In February 2025, along with Ranveer Allahbadia Ashish Chanchlani and Apoorva Mukhija joined as panelists in Samay Raina’s India’s Got Latent. A comment made by Ranveer about parents and sex caused outrage online. FIRs were lodged against Samay, Ranveer, Apoorva and Ash. Samay was forced to pull the show from YouTube, Ranveer publicly apologized, and in March, the Supreme Court allowed 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 offensive joke eight times in the episode, though only one clip made the final cut and sparked backlash. She admitted that cooking took a toll on her mental health, making her feel powerless. However, Samay has teased a potential second season of ‘India’s Got Latent’, exciting fans.
