Samay Raina has decided to cancel all his upcoming shows in India following the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent. The comedian, who had planned performances across multiple cities, announced the rescheduling of his tour and assured fans that refunds would be processed soon.
Cancellation of Shows Amid Controversy
Samay was originally scheduled to perform in Delhi on March 21 and 23 at Talkatora Stadium, along with shows in Ahmedabad, Surat, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Kolkata between March and April. However, due to threats from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the ongoing backlash, all his shows have now been called off.
Samay had been performing in Canada when the controversy erupted, even addressing the situation in a humorous manner during one of his shows.
The India’s Got Latent Controversy
The controversy began after YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia (BeerBiceps) made an inappropriate remark towards a contestant on India’s Got Latent. His question, which involved a highly inappropriate hypothetical scenario, was met with strong criticism from fellow panellists, including Apoorva Makhija and Ashish Chanchlani. Despite issuing an apology, Ranveer faced severe backlash, leading to multiple FIRs against him and others associated with the show.
Legal Summons and Video Deletion
Samay Raina had requested time until March 17 to appear before authorities and provide his statement. However, after failing to comply with an earlier summons on March 19, the Maharashtra Cyber Cell has now issued a third notice requiring his presence on March 24.
Amidst growing pressure, Samay has deleted all India’s Got Latent videos from his YouTube channel. In a statement, he expressed that the situation had become overwhelming:
“Everything that is happening has been too much for me to handle. I have removed all ‘India’s Got Latent’ videos from my channel. My only objective was to make people laugh and have a good time. I will fully cooperate with all agencies to ensure their inquiries are concluded fairly. Thank you.”
With his India tour postponed indefinitely, it remains to be seen how Samay navigates this challenging period in his career.
