Stand-up comedian Samay Raina is once again at the center of social media discussion following the latest episode of India’s Got Latent season 2. A clip from a recent members-only episode is circulating widely, sparking debate over a conversation about the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. The episode, which has not yet been released on Netflix, features Bhai Tera Star Hai actors Raghav Juyal and Niharika NM, along with comedians Rohan Joshi and Munawar Faruqui.
What happened
The discussion started when contestant Vanika Raikta, hailing from Shimla, mentioned her family's apple orchards. Continuing on the subject, Raghav Juyal turned to Samay Raina and remarked, "Tumhara bhi toh tha na seb ka bageecha, Kashmir mein? (You also had an apple orchard in Kashmir, didn't you?)."
Samay responded, “We had a lot,” a remark widely interpreted as alluding to the displacement of Kashmiri Pandits during the insurgency. He comes from a Kashmiri Pandit family and has discussed this issue publicly on multiple occasions.
As Raghav gently patted him on the back, Samay turned to Munawar Faruqui and said, “Now speak on this.” The sudden comment made everyone on the panel burst into laughter. Munawar grinned and replied, “It wasn’t me,” prompting yet another wave of laughter from the crowd.
Samay then remarked, “This happened to us, he won’t say anything now.” The clip rapidly spread across social media platforms, provoking intense responses from viewers.
Samay has spoken about his family's past before
This is not the first occasion on which Samay has spoken about the suffering his family endured during the Kashmiri Pandit exodus. Earlier this year, he had already addressed the topic on India’s Got Latent, sharing survival lessons drawn from his heritage in his stand-up special, Still Alive. “You only fight when the fight is fair. When the fight is not fair, you f**k off from there. Kashmir Pandit wisdom,” he remarked.
He continued, “We Pandits made up only 5 percent of Kashmir’s population. If we had taken up arms, everyone would have been killed. I am relieved they decided to leave; at least we survived and are now living and thriving.”
About India's Got Latent
India’s Got Latent became embroiled in a major controversy in February 2025 after remarks made by influencer Ranveer Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps. His comments were denounced on social media by numerous politicians and celebrities for being inappropriate, sparking extensive public outrage.
After FIRs were lodged against Ranveer, Samay, and others, the specific episode was removed from YouTube, and Samay subsequently deleted all episodes of India’s Got Latent from his channel. This controversy grew into one of the most significant debates in India’s internet culture in 2025. Earlier this year, the show’s comeback was announced, featuring a new format in which episodes will be released at the same time on both Netflix and YouTube.