Samay Raina’s comeback special after India’s Got Latent row becomes world’s most-watched stand-up special on YouTube

Samay Raina's Still Alive has crossed 53.4 million views, emerging as the most-watched full-length stand-up comedy special in the world on a single upload.

Comedian Samay Raina has staged a striking comeback on YouTube with his latest stand-up special, Still Alive, following the India’s Got Latent controversy. And the set has clearly struck a chord with audiences worldwide, going on to become the most-watched full-length stand-up comedy special globally, based on total views garnered by a single upload.

In the special, Samay Raina spoke about facing childhood bullying, his Kashmiri Pandit identity, mental health struggles, and his relationship with his audience.

The comedy special has crossed 53.4 million views on YouTube, setting a new global record as the most-watched full-length stand-up comedy special in the world, by total views on a single upload.

Samay Raina’s Still Alive makes a record

On Wednesday, Samay took to Instagram Stories to repost a post mentioning that the comedian has “officially turned his biggest controversy into a record-breaking comeback.”

His stand-up special, Still Alive, has crossed 53.4 million views, emerging as the most-watched full-length stand-up comedy special in the world on a single upload.

The caption of the post shared by Samay read, “Following the intense public backlash and legal battles surrounding India’s Got Latent last year, Raina dropped his raw, unfiltered special “Still Alive” on YouTube earlier this month. The release has now shattered global viewership numbers to officially become the most-watched and most-liked stand-up comedy special in the world. Addressing the legal fallout, financial strain, and public scrutiny head-on, the special has dominated timelines everywhere.”

"Still Alive is the most honest thing I have ever made. I owe every view to the people who never stopped showing up," Samay said in a statement.

Samay's Insta Story

The comedy special was released on April 7 on YouTube and went on to garner 22 million views within the first 24 hours of its release. The over one-hour-long special marks Samay’s return to the comedy scene following the India's Got Latent controversy involving an appearance by YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia.

Samay returns with Still Alive

Earlier this month, Samay returned with a new comedy special, Still Alive, after the India's Got Latent controversy.

In 2025, Samay found himself embroiled in controversy after Ranveer Allahbadia’s remarks on his show, India’s Got Latent, sparked nationwide backlash. Following the controversy, Samay removed all episodes of India’s Got Latent from YouTube.

Earlier this month, Samay took to Instagram and shared a video announcing his return with a new comedy special titled Still Alive.

In the special, Samay spoke about India’s Got Latent controversy, where he claimed that Ranveer had cracked the controversial joke eight times during the episode, but only one instance was retained, which eventually sparked the outrage. He also admitted that the situation affected his mental health and left him feeling helpless. He also mentioned that several “irrelevant people” attempted to grab the spotlight amid the uproar. Samay also recalled how Mukesh Khanna, best known for playing Shaktiman, had publicly criticised both him and Ranveer Allahbadia. Despite the setback, Samay has hinted at a second season of India’s Got Latent.