From cancellations to collaborations: The curious case of Samay Raina

In India’s creator economy, controversy is no longer the career-ender it once was. Samay Raina, a stand-up comic and streamer, is the latest example of this. After the India’s Got Latent fiasco, he disappeared from the spotlight for weeks, only to resurface with back-to-back brand campaigns.

The striking commonality among these ads is their reliance on the very controversy that initially derailed him. Raina and his collaborators milk the India’s Got Latent fallout for self-deprecating jokes, flipping embarrassment into punchlines. And brands are not just tolerating it; they’re actively participating.

From well-established names such as boAt, Bold Care, and Knorr to emerging startups like Urban Jungle Bags, Deconstruct Skincare, and Air Learn, brands appeared keen to capitalise on Samay Raina’s renewed visibility.

The collaborations embraced a playful, self-aware sense of humour: for instance, boAt teamed Raina up with rapper KR$NA, while Bold Care partnered Raina with podcaster and entrepreneur Raj Shamani and also included director Anurag Kashyap in a subsequent campaign.

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A post shared by Samay Raina (@maisamayhoon)

Among the newer entrants, Urban Jungle Bags teamed him up with Ashish Chanchlani, while Deconstruct Skincare featured him with Rebel Kid. Across the board, the common thread was self-roasting — turning controversy into a punchline and making it the new cool in brand marketing.

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A post shared by Samay Raina (@maisamayhoon)

It’s a playbook we’ve seen before: a silence period, followed by a self-aware, meme-driven comeback. Internationally, Logan Paul (YouTuber and boxer) and James Charles (beauty influencer) have survived scandals to re-enter the brand fold.

Closer home, creators such as Tanmay Bhatt (comedian and content creator) and Munawar Faruqui (stand-up comic and reality show winner) have bounced back from public outrage to reclaim influence.

Raina’s situation prompts more pointed questions:What strategies did he employ post-controversy that instilled confidence in brands? Is this redemption arc becoming overly predictable — a cycle of controversy, a period of silence, and then a comeback? Should marketers exercise caution when aligning themselves with personalities who thrive on edgy humour and online virality?

Playing it smart (or just playing the odds?)

“The smartest thing Samay did was to wait for the noise to die down,” says Sahil Chopra, CEO, iCubesWire.

“Sometimes, not doing anything is the best move. And when it was finally time to come back, he leveraged the controversy with a layer of humour. What could have been a career-ending mistake, he converted into a new layer of his persona.”

A senior professional at a Mumbai-based digital agency agrees it was no accident: “Samay Raina’s comeback was not luck; it was calculated. He paused at the peak of the controversy, complied with takedowns, and then re-entered with self-aware humour in brand-led content where the tone could be tightly controlled. That reframed him as resilient rather than reckless—giving brands confidence to work with him again.”

The new cycle: outrage, retreat, comeback

Is Raina just part of a larger pattern? “Yes, this is a pattern,” Tarunjeet Rattan, managing partner at Nucleus PR, says. “Movies and politics have followed it for generations, but influencers are building in public. The internet doesn’t forget, and neither do trolls.”

The senior professional in the digital ad agency is blunter: “The controversy–retreat–comeback cycle is now recurring in influencer marketing. Brands that future-proof themselves diversify their creator mix, build scenario playbooks, and never allow one personality to carry their reputation.”

Chopra, however, resists calling it formulaic: “Everyone’s journey is different. What we need to appreciate is accountability in influencers and their ability to come back with a fresh narrative.”

Short-term buzz vs long-term burn

For brands, the lure of instant visibility is undeniable. Sahil Chopra from iCubesWire notes, “If a brand wants short-term attention, leaning into that edgy image can work. But if you are a legacy brand with a reputation to protect, you must ask, what happens if this person slips again? Marketers need to clearly define their risk appetite.”

But not everyone is convinced the strategy is a safe play. Tarunjeet doesn’t mince words: “Having said that, the brands choosing to associate with him are again sending out a strong message of acceptance of casual sexism, which will come back to haunt them with any misstep on either side. Only time will tell whether this has worked or not."

It’s a reminder that what looks like a clever redemption arc today could morph into a brand risk tomorrow.

In other words, Samay Raina’s comeback may be a case study in smart timing and self-deprecating humour; for brands, the real question isn’t whether an influencer can bounce back. It’s whether they’re ready to ride the highs of viral buzz while carrying the baggage that comes with it.