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While many celebrated the return of India’s Got Latent, others felt that the raw chaos and edgy humor of the first season was missing.
‘Very polished, very safe’: Samay Raina’s big comeback with Alia Bhatt elicits mixed reactions online
Samay Raina’s much-awaited (and highly controversial) show India’s Got Latent returns today for its second season. The comedian took to his Instagram Stories to share a YouTube link to the first episode of the show, which featured Alia Bhatt in her thumbnail wearing a hat with the words ‘Alpha’ written on it, as well as Sharvari Wagh, her co-star in the upcoming film. Ashish Solanki and Balraj Ghai also participated in the show. The caption read: “Are we ready to start the show?”
Initially, the hype surrounding the return was unparalleled. Given the show’s messy history, fans viewed the high-profile premiere as a legendary move for the Indian digital space. One person commented: “Bro got banned, deleted the entire season, then came back with a deal with Netflix. The absolute pinnacle of internet culture.” “Biggest comeback the industry has ever seen,” another person wrote. While another user commented, “Netflix ka set tutega ab.”
Internet reaction: Has the latent material lost its unfiltered edge?
However, once the actual episode hit screens, the mood on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) was indecisive. Instead of the raw, secretive, and deeply turbulent atmosphere that characterized the first season, many viewers felt that the massive streaming investment and mainstream celebrity presence had completely changed the series’ DNA.
As one user wrote, “The underlying feeling is different now? Here’s why.”
1. A lot of the polished content is probably from the Netflix certified 4K camera
2. Samay bhai is not himself in front of Alia or maybe because he does it after a long time.
3. Having too many sponsors, just one person may feel less marketable.
4. And of course no jokes or sarcasm, just feel good content.”
This is exactly why many people would never want Samay to collaborate with Netflix 🙏 – An actor came in pretending to be drunk – Instead of telling a joke, Samay first asked Alia if he could pull off that joke written about her father – He didn’t hesitate for a moment to make jokes about… pic.twitter.com/dExSR47Gpk
— ` (@WorshipVK) June 20, 2026
Another user added, “It was hard to watch Samay Ladent S2 with Alia Bhatt 🤮🤢 ~ Strong comedy, no raw jokes, not even a single laugh. Alia exudes soft, sweet energy – it was very evident. 🤡 ~ Worst episode so far. Bring back the old unfiltered lurking”
Despite the heavy “feel good” pivot, Samay didn’t exactly back down, managing to drop some pointed barbs that went viral on the timeline. One user highlighted: “#SamayRaina took a dig at #AliaBhatt’s Jigra concert, at a Cannes event, and said, ‘Here all the cameras will be on you’ 😭”
Many users also praised Alia for not laughing at one of the jokes that appeared on the show. “Alia Bhatt is the only sane person in the room who didn’t laugh at the Epstein Island joke,” they wrote. Some users also praised her for standing up to Samay, who is usually very quick with his statements. “Alia Bhatt roasting Samay Raina in Lant is funny 😭💥”
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