Shehzad Poonawalla backed comedian Samay Raina on Saturday following the release of the latest episode of the latter's show ‘India’s Got Latent', saying people were “too quick to judge” him.
Sharing a moment from Raina's show, the former BJP spokesperson said people “often judge” the comedian by his “language, his jokes or his viral comebacks & moments”. However, highlighting the viral video, Poonawalla said Raina has a “surprisingly sensitive heart”.
“Beneath the irreverence is empathy, intelligence and a surprisingly sensitive heart. Perhaps we are too quick to make role models out of people who say all the right things and too quick to judge people who don’t,” Poonawalla said.
Deep Dive
Why did Shehzad Poonawalla support Samay Raina?
What challenges did Samay Raina face with India’s Got Latent?
How did Samay Raina respond to criticism of Season 2 of India’s Got Latent?
Raina ran into controversy in February, 2025 over his YouTube show India’s Got Latent and faced legal action over allegations of promoting obscenity and sexually explicit content. The row erupted after guest Ranveer Allahbadia's remarks on an episode, which resulted in widespread backlash, resulting in multiple FIRs and legal challenges to the show. However, Raina announced a comeback of India's Got Latent a couple of months ago, and five episodes from the show's second season have already been released on YouTube.
{{/usCountry}}Raina ran into controversy in February, 2025 over his YouTube show India’s Got Latent and faced legal action over allegations of promoting obscenity and sexually explicit content. The row erupted after guest Ranveer Allahbadia's remarks on an episode, which resulted in widespread backlash, resulting in multiple FIRs and legal challenges to the show. However, Raina announced a comeback of India's Got Latent a couple of months ago, and five episodes from the show's second season have already been released on YouTube.
{{/usCountry}}‘Samay keeps changing…bad times aren’t permanent': What Poonawalla said
In his post on his official handle on social media platform X, Poonawalla, who recently quit the BJP, said Raina was the “best reminder like his name.” “Samay keeps changing. Bad times aren’t permanent. Good times can end too,” he said, while urging people to “stay decent and humble.”
Poonawalla said that he was acquainted with Raina's father, and praised the comedian's “love, responsibility and devotion” towards his parents. He termed Raina's journey as “remarkable”, stating that it speaks “more about him than any clip ever could.”
“I prefer to judge people by what they do when nobody is asking them to prove what kind of person they are,” the former BJP leader said, adding that it was the “little moments that reveal character.”
“Like this now viral instance where his five marks changed the average to nine and ultimately helped this beautiful young girl win,” he said, speaking about the clip. Poonawalla said that while Raina had “thought several steps ahead” when he gave the marks, “more importantly he had thought about someone else.”
Poonawalla said he prefers to judge people when “nobody is asking them to prove what kind of person they are”. “Samay reminds us that sometimes values are better seen in how you live than in how you speak,” he said.
Raina was also felicitated by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier this week, at an event where Maharashtra Cyber unveiled its awareness short film. The comedian thanked Fadnavis, while joking that he already has Maharashtra Cyber’s number saved because he often receives calls from them.
“Thank you for the felicitation, sir. My association with Maha Cyber has been going on for a very long time. 1930 is really a great number. I have actually saved it because I often get calls from there,” Raina joked.