Samay Raina reschedules India tour after India’s Got Latent row

Comedian Samay Raina announced on Thursday night that he would be rescheduling his India tour. He shared a note on his Instagram stories. This announcement follows backlash from podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia's objectionable comments on Raina's YouTube comedy show, 'India's Got Latent'.

"Hello guys, I am rescheduling my India tour. You all will get the refunds shortly, see you soon," Raina wrote.

The 27-year-old, currently in Canada for a comedy tour, was scheduled to perform in Delhi and other cities later this month.

Earlier, Raina, speaking out about the incident, said, “Everything that is happening has been too much for me to handle," he wrote. "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.”

Amidst the rising controversy, Raina expressed gratitude towards his audience in Edmonton for assisting with his legal fees, acknowledging the ongoing challenges and remarked, “shayad samay kharab chal raha hai”. The backlash intensified following a complaint by Nilotpal Mrinal Pandey, highlighting derogatory language regarding disabled persons used on the show. The Maharashtra government ordered an inquiry into the matter, with cultural department officials examining numerous complaints about vulgarity. Raina's stand-up shows in Gujarat, scheduled for April, were cancelled too, following the backlash.

The comedian also removed all episodes of 'India’s Got Latent' from his YouTube channel, citing that the situation has been overwhelming. "Everything that is happening has been too much for me to handle," he stated on Instagram. 

Raina pledged full cooperation with authorities to ensure fair inquiry conclusions, emphasising his initial intent to entertain. The controversy also prompted discussions at a parliamentary level, with a panel urging the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to evaluate potential amendments to media laws to mitigate similar incidents in the future. “I will fully cooperate with all agencies to ensure their enquiries are concluded fairly,” he said.