'Will be mindful': Samay apologizes for disability jokes on birthday
What's the story
Popular stand-up comedian Samay Raina has apologized to people with disabilities for his controversial remarks on his now-defunct show India's Got Latent. The apology came on his birthday, October 26, when he took to social media to express regret over his controversial joke. "Today is my birthday, and instead of celebrating just myself, I want to use this day...to apologize," he wrote.
Apology details
'We deeply regret the pain caused'
Raina also named fellow comedians Vipul Goyal, Sonali Thakkar, Nishant Tanwar, and Balraj Ghai in his post. "We deeply regret the pain caused due to our show." "Going forward, we will be more mindful and do our best to spread awareness about the challenges faced by the community," he wrote. Thakkar, Tanwar, Goyal, and Ghai reshared his Instagram Story.
Controversy details
Controversy over insensitive jokes
The case stems from a petition filed by the CURE SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) Foundation of India earlier this year. Raina made a joke about a charity drive for a two-month-old baby who needed an injection worth ₹16cr for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Hearing the application, the Supreme Court said it was "really disturbed" by Raina's comments. The court later ordered the comedians to apologize to people with disabilities.
Raina's joke
What did Raina say?
In a stand-up comedy video, Raina had referenced a "charity case" of a two-month-old baby needing an injection worth ₹16 crore. He asked an audience member, "Ma'am, you tell me... if you were that mother and one day ₹16 crore appeared in your bank account...while you had a two-month-old...wouldn't you at least look at your husband once and say...'Hmmm... inflation is rising.'" The application claimed Raina mocked people suffering from SMA in two videos, alongside ridiculing blind and cross-eyed individuals.
Future plans
Raina's affidavit in SC
In an affidavit, Raina clarified that he never intended to belittle anyone and was committed to "inclusive and sensitive content creation." He assured the court of ensuring "better conduct, content sensitivity, and legal compliance" in the future. Meanwhile, in August, the Supreme Court also asked the government to frame guidelines for social media platforms to prevent offensive speeches against disabled persons, women, children, and senior citizens.