Samay Raina recalls being bullied in Andhra Pradesh school: ‘Mere saath racism hua hai’

Stand-up comedian Samay Raina is back in the spotlight with his latest special ‘Still Alive’, a 1-hour 21-minute set now streaming on YouTube. While the show delivers his signature humour and sharp comic timing, it also dives into deeply personal experiences, including bullying, identity and recent controversies.During the set, Samay opened up about a difficult phase from his childhood. (YouTube/Samay Raina)During the set, Samay opened up about a difficult phase from his childhood, recalling how he was bullied after moving from Kashmir to Hyderabad. He revealed that he was beaten up on his very first day at school and struggled to fit in.“I was not able to fit in. There were all Telugu kids. They had their own gangs. I looked different from them. They just bullied me for years in that school. I just did not understand why,” he said.“Mere saath racism hua hai…” he added, reflecting on the experience. “Log bolte hai kaalo ke saath nahi karna chahiye. Goro ke saath bhi nahi karna chahiye. Racism and discrimination are not about who has darker skin. It is about who is different, who is most unlike you.”(Also Read: Samay Raina says he was forced to delete India’s Got Latent episodes after police arrested his editor: ‘It broke me’)The comedian further shared that he was bullied for years, with classmates stealing his snacks, tearing his books, and humiliating him in front of others. The experience, he said, left him with little confidence and made going to school a frightening ordeal.Samay also spoke about feeling embarrassed when his father came to pick him up in a Maruti 800, fearing further ridicule from classmates. “I couldn’t break his heart like that,” he added, recalling how he would ask his father to park away from the school.(Also Read: Kunal Kamra slams Ranveer Allahbadia for ‘milking’ India’s Got Latent row: ‘Be very ashamed’)Samay Raina addressed ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversyApart from his personal story, Samay also addressed the controversy surrounding India’s Got Latent. The row erupted after a controversial joke involving fellow creator Ranveer Allahbadia, which triggered backlash and multiple FIRs against the show’s organisers, including Samay. Following the outrage, all episodes of the show were taken down from YouTube.Samay revealed that the backlash took a significant emotional toll on him. During the episode, he broke down while recalling the incident and admitted to feeling “guilty” as panel members faced intense criticism. “I could not believe it, the scale they took it was insane, disproportionate. Ek chote se joke ke liye itna kaise kar sakte ho yaar,” he said.