Samay Raina revealed in Still Alive how the India’s Got Latent controversy cost him sponsors, episodes and FDs, fearing debts like Amitabh Bachchan’s Rs 90-crore ABCL crisis. Because of Ranveer’s joke, it led to an FIR and the show being removed. Despite the mental toll, Season 2 is a thrilling thriller.
Following the release of his latest special, Still Alive, comedian Samay Raina has finally broken his silence on the intense financial and personal fallout of the 2025 ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy.
In a candid reflection, Raina revealed that legal battles and loss of corporate support pushed him to his breaking point, drawing a stark comparison to Amitabh Bachchan’s great financial collapse in the late 1990s.
Samay Raina reveals losing everything
During a recent Dostcast chat, Samay revealed that the controversy made him “lose everything”. He explained: “I lost all the upcoming episodes because everyone was afraid and did not want to upload their episodes.
I also lost sponsors for those episodes. I have already received their payments and invested them in fixed deposits. I had to break those FDs and return the money. “I was a mess.”
Samay Raina shares concerns about projects collapsing
The comedian continued to share his constant fears during that time. “I had several projects, and even shot ads, but they asked for their money back. I also signed a contract with BookMyShow, where they gave me an advance payment for the entire tour, and all that money was already invested.
I was so 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 bankrupt and fall into debt, like what happened with Amitabh Bachchan,” he said.
Amitabh Bachchan’s financial crisis in the 1990s
In the late 1990s, Amitabh Bachchan suffered a major financial setback when his company Amitabh Bachchan Limited (ABCL) collapsed. The disaster saddled him with debts of around Rs 90 crore. He fought numerous legal battles and creditor demands at the time, with reports indicating that he nearly lost his home.
The ‘India got lurking’ controversy erupted in February 2025
Back in February 2025, Ranveer Allahbadia, along with Ashish Chanchalani and Apoorva Mukija, joined as panellists on Samay Raina’s India’s Got Lant show. Ranveer’s comment about parents and sex during the episode sparked outrage online. FIRs have been lodged against Samay, Ranveer, Apoorva and Ashish. Samay had to pull the show from YouTube, Ranveer publicly apologized, and in March, the Supreme Court acquitted Ranveer of restarting 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, although only one clip led to the final clip and sparked the backlash. He admitted that the ordeal had taken a toll on his mental health, leaving him feeling helpless. However, Samay has teased the potential second season of ‘India’s Got Latent’ which has fans excited.