Popular comedian Samay Raina announced on Thursday night that he is rescheduling his India tour, weeks after facing backlash for his YouTube comedy show, 'India’s Got Latent'.
Raina posted this update on his Instagram Story, Raina shared a brief note informing fans about the change in schedule. "Hello guys, I am rescheduling my India tour. You all will get the refunds shortly, see you soon (sic)," he wrote, adding a folded hands emoji as a gesture of gratitude.
Samay was originally set to perform in Delhi on March 21 and 23 at Talkatora Stadium. His shows in Ahmedabad and Surat were also called off following threats from Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Additionally, his performances in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, scheduled between March and April, have been cancelled.
About India's Got Latent Controversy
Following the controversy surrounding an inappropriate remark made by Ranveer Allahbadia (BeerBiceps) on "India's Got Latent," Samay has been performing live shows in Canada. He even alluded to the situation in one performance, joking in Hindi about remembering BeerBiceps before making potentially offensive jokes, suggesting his timing might be poor. The controversy stemmed from Allahbadia's question to a contestant on "India's Got Latent": "Would you rather watch your parents have sex for the rest of your life or join in once and stop it forever?" The remark was condemned by panellists like Apoorva Makhija and Ashish Chanchlani, and despite a swift apology, Allahbadia and others involved faced significant backlash, including multiple FIRs.
Samay, initially requesting an appearance date of March 17th to provide a statement to authorities, missed a subsequent summon on March 19th. The Maharashtra Cyber Cell has now issued a third summon, requiring his appearance on March 24th. Amidst mounting pressure, Samay has removed all "India's Got Latent" episodes from his YouTube channel. In a statement, he expressed being overwhelmed and stated his intention to fully cooperate with authorities, clarifying that his sole objective was to entertain.