4 min readBengaluruUpdated: Sep 2, 2026 02:22 PM IST
After famously saying that Samay Raina should be ‘paraded on a donkey’ after India’s Got Latent row, actor Mukesh Khanna has been criticised for starring in promotions with the comedian. Mukesh Khanna has now responded to the backlash surrounding his recent appearance with Samay.
The collaboration between Mukesh Khanna and comedian Samay Raina caught attention because the senior actor had previously been vocal about his opposition to Samay Raina’s show India’s Got Latent. Addressing the criticism, the veteran actor clarified that featuring in a brand commercial with Raina does not mean he has changed his position on the controversial comedy show.
Watch Mukesh Khanna-Samay Raina ad here:
Actor Mukesh Khanna is widely known for his superhero character, Shaktimaan, who was an integral part of growing up in the 90s in India.
Speaking on Subhojit Ghosh’s podcast, Mukesh Khanna explained that the project was simply a mobile phone advertisement and had nothing to do with India’s Got Latent. He also said that the brand took nearly 10 days to convince him to participate in the campaign. Mukesh Khanna recalled how Samay Raina and his team desperately tried to convince him to be part of the advertisement together.
Reacting to accusations that he had compromised on his earlier stance, Mukesh Khanna questioned when he had ever praised Samay Raina or expressed support for his show.
“Mere log nahi bolenge ki main bik gaya. Agar mujhe kharidte toh main bhi gaali-galoch karta na? (My people won’t say that I sold out. If they had bought me off, I would have been swearing too, right?) Where did I bow down to say he is nice? He was trying… he is very smart. Shaktimaan nahi bik sakta hai, main uske show mein nahi gaya (Shaktimaan cannot be bought off; I didn’t go on his show),” he said.
The Shaktimaan-fame actor also pointed out that he had criticised the Supreme Court over its decision concerning FIRs related to Samay.
At the same time, the actor distinguished between his personal interaction with Samay Raina and his views on the comedian’s content. Calling Samay an “enterprising” person, he said, “I found him a very sweet person, cracking jokes. He told me 10 jokes, very, very positive.”
The advertisement has therefore sparked discussion largely because of the contrast between Mukesh Khanna’s earlier criticism of India’s Got Latent and his new on-screen appearance with Raina.
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Reaction on Mukesh Khanna-Samay Raina’s ad
Reacting to the the commercial which features Mukesh Khanna-Samay Raina together, a user posted on Instagram, “Samay needs new haters because old ones are becoming clients,” while another wrote, “Sorry Shaktiman😢.”
India’s Got Latent Season 2 officially premiered on Netflix and YouTube on June 20. The show returned after a turbulent phase in February 2025, when Samay Raina removed all original episodes of Season 1 amid legal scrutiny over controversial remarks made by podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia on the show.
