Stand-up comedian Samay Raina, who recently announced his India tour Samay Raina Is Alive And Unfiltered, performed in Mumbai on August 29 and 30, just months after facing massive backlash over his YouTube show India’s Got Latent.
Samay’s big moment in Mumbai
Sharing photos from the shows, Samay revealed that he performed for a staggering crowd of 25,000 fans. Taking to Instagram on Sunday, August 31, he wrote, “Mumbai, I love you so much. You have given me everything. Last two nights I performed for 25,000 people in my city, I am overwhelmed, I’m grateful to every single person who came out to see me, it means the world to me, I love you guys so much, God has been kind.”Samay kicked off his tour on August 15 in Bengaluru. After Mumbai, he will next perform in Kolkata on September 6 and 7, followed by Chennai on September 19 and 20. The tour also includes three back-to-back shows in Pune from September 26 to 28, and will conclude in Delhi on October 3, 4, and 5.
India’s Got Latent row
Samay’s show India’s Got Latent sparked major controversy earlier this year after podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia asked a contestant an inappropriate ‘parents’ sex’ question on stage. The remark drew sharp backlash, with multiple FIRs filed against Ranveer, Samay, Apoorva Mukhija, and Ashish Chanchlani. Following the outrage, Samay deleted all episodes of the show from his YouTube channel.
Supreme Court’s ruling
On Monday, the Supreme Court directed five social media influencers, including Raina, to issue a public apology for mocking persons with disabilities on India’s Got Latent. The court observed that freedom of speech and expression does not extend to commercial content that offends communities.The apex court also asked the Centre to frame guidelines for social media to curb offensive content targeting persons with disabilities, women, children, and senior citizens. It further warned that penalties may be imposed on influencers, including Raina.Raina, along with Ranveer Allahbadia, had earlier been booked by Maharashtra and Assam police. The court had granted Allahbadia interim protection from arrest, calling his remarks “vulgar” and evidence of a “dirty mind which put society to shame.”
