Samay Raina Talks About His Kashmiri Pandit Identity While Discussing IGL Row: You Only Fight When The Fight Is Fair

Comedian

Samay Raina has returned to the spotlight with his latest stand-up special Still Alive, and he is pulling no punches. Raina used the stage to address the controversy surrounding his now banned show India’s Got Latent while also opening up about his identity as a Kashmiri Pandit. The special marks his comeback after months of public scrutiny and online backlash, as he reflects on the fallout, personal pain, wins and losses and lessons learned from the episode. He also revealed why Beer Biceps' joke was not edited out of the episode.

Samay Raina on his Kashmiri Pandit identity

During the special, Raina candidly spoke about the emotional toll the controversy took on him, admitting, “It broke me like anything,” as he recalled the decision to delete his show amid backlash. The controversy had erupted after Ranveer Allahbadia asked a question to a contestant that many viewers found offensive. Raina revealed that while Allahbadia repeated the question multiple times during filming, he chose to retain only one instance in the final edit, believing he had already removed the more problematic portions.

However, beyond addressing the controversy, Raina’s special took a deeply personal turn when he spoke about his Kashmiri Pandit roots. In a light-hearted but deeply meaningful tone, he said, "Hum Kashmiri crossfire me hi marte hain". He went on to share what he described as “Kashmiri Pandit wisdom,” stating, “Only fight when the fight is fair. When you have a chance of winning. When the fight is not fair, you f*ck off from there.”Raina further elaborated on this perspective by referencing the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. “Hum 5% the Kashmir mein Pandits. Agar humne… hathiyar utha liye hote… sab marr gaye hote,” he said, emphasizing that survival sometimes means choosing to step away rather than engage in unwinnable battles. In a poignant moment, he added that he is “glad all Kashmiri Pandits fled the valley overnight,” noting that staying back could have led to widespread loss of life.

Samay Raina pokes fun at Akshay Kumar, gets teary-eyed

The comedian also used humour to critique how such narratives are often portrayed in mainstream cinema, taking a dig at Akshay Kumar. He said that while stories of sacrifice may be glorified on screen, real-life decisions are often driven by the instinct to survive rather than become “legends” in hindsight. He said, Sab marr gaye hote. Phir Akshay Kumar banta koi Kashmiri Pandit".

One of the most emotional segments of the special came when Raina recounted an incident involving the cops. He described breaking down after watching a video where the parents of Balraj Ghai pleaded with authorities when a venue was being sealed. The moment, he said, deeply affected him and he broke down.