Comedian and YouTuber Samay Raina was felicitated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a cyber-awareness event in Mumbai on Wednesday (August 26). The recognition has now sparked a wave of reactions online, with several netizens and celebrities commenting on the moment, particularly given Raina's past association with Maharashtra Cyber.
The felicitation comes nearly a year after the controversy surrounding his YouTube show India's Got Latent, which had led to legal proceedings and brought the comedian under intense scrutiny.
Netizens React to Samay's Felicitation
Pictures and videos from the event made their way onto social media, prompting users to react to Raina being honoured alongside several prominent personalities.
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit reacted to the development, writing, "Samay bada balwan hota hai dost. ❤️"
Another Instagram user highlighted Raina's return to the spotlight, writing, "One learning from Samay no matter what may happen in life comeback is possible at Gods speed! Never give up people. Be at it,"
The event also became a source of humour for social media users. One person commented, "That one AI video which isn't actually AI," while another wrote, "Thought it is AI."
A user described the felicitation as "The most awkward, funny yet wholesome felicitation in the history of Maharashtra," while another simply commented, "Bro is always unpredictable."
Here's how others reacted:
The reactions reflected the surprise surrounding Raina's presence at an event connected to cyber awareness, considering his previous interactions with Maharashtra Cyber.
Samay Raina's Joke About Maharashtra Cyber
Raina was felicitated alongside actors Pankaj Tripathi, Sharad Kelkar, Sonali Bendre, Ashish Vidyarthi, Javed Jaffrey and Mangesh Desai, as well as singer Sunidhi Chauhan. The celebrities were recognised for their contribution to a Maharashtra Cyber awareness initiative.
While accepting the honour, Raina referred to his earlier interactions with the cybercrime wing and joked about the helpline number 1930.
"1930 is really a great number. I have actually saved it because I often get calls from there," he said, leaving the audience in splits.
He also praised Maharashtra Cyber for being active and joked that its officials could track people regardless of whether they were in India or the United States.
Raina went on to make another reference to his past experience, joking about how unusual it was for a cyber cell officer to visit a comedian's home and 'pick him up'. The remark appeared to refer to his questioning in connection with the India's Got Latent controversy.
India's Got Latent Controversy
Raina faced legal trouble last year following the controversy surrounding India's Got Latent. The row began after podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia made an inappropriate remark during an episode of the show.
An FIR was subsequently registered against Raina, Allahbadia and others associated with the programme. At the time, Raina was touring the United States and had sought permission to record his statement through video conferencing. Maharashtra Cyber rejected the request and asked him to appear before the authorities in person.
Raina eventually appeared before Cyber officials in Mumbai and expressed regret over the controversy. He also removed all Season 1 episodes of India's Got Latent from his YouTube channel.
More recently, Raina received relief from the Supreme Court. On August 14, the court quashed criminal proceedings against Raina and four other comedians over insensitive remarks concerning persons with disabilities on the show.
