Samay Raina finally addresses 'Latent' row in Canada stand-up show
What's the story
Comedian Samay Raina, caught in a storm over his show India's Got Latent (IGL), recently broke his silence at a live performance in Canada.
The comedian is facing legal trouble over comments made by YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia on an episode of IGL.
During the show, part of his tour Samay Raina Unfiltered, he humorously addressed the issue and thanked his audience for "paying" his legal fees through ticket purchases.
Emotional impact
Raina's emotional state during the performance
Notably, Raina's performance in Edmonton was his first since the IGL controversy broke out.
A fan, Shubham Dutta, who was present at the show, recounted his experience on Facebook.
Dutta wrote, in a now-deleted post, that Raina was a "25-year-old guy, weighed down by immense mental pressure, dark circles under his eyes, a sunken face, and unkempt hair."
He further claimed that Raina had tears in his eyes before starting his set.
Comedy resilience
'Maybe my time is going bad right now...'
Raina managed to bring humor to his controversy.
He joked about it saying, "Iss show pe bahut mauka ayega, jahan aapko lag sakta hai ki main bahot funny kuch bol sakta hoon, par tab Beerbiceps ko yaad kar lena bhai (In this show there will be many opportunities where you'll feel that I could say something very funny, but remember BeerBiceps then)."
"Maybe my time is going bad right now but remember friends—I'm time itself (Samay means time)."
Controversy background
'IGL' controversy: A quick recap
The controversy over IGL started when guest Allahbadia made a distasteful joke about "watching your parents have sex or joining them."
The comment sparked widespread backlash, leading to multiple FIRs being filed against Raina, Allahbadia, and other panelists.
Facing the backlash, Raina removed all episodes of IGL from his YouTube channel and said he would cooperate fully with investigating agencies.
Public response
Meanwhile, public figures voiced their opinions on the controversy
The IGL controversy has sparked renewed discussions on the fine line between comedy and free expression.
Actor Akansha Ranjan Kapoor backed Raina and Allahbadia, asking why authorities were focused on taking legal action against comedians, instead of criminals.
TV actor Aly Goni slammed the decision to pull down all episodes of IGL, saying only the controversial episode should have been removed.
Amid all this, Allahbadia publicly apologized and confessed that "comedy wasn't his forte."