Actor Mukesh Khanna has responded to the criticism he received after appearing alongside comedian Samay Raina in a recent advertisement, making it clear that his participation in the commercial does not mean he has changed his views on Raina’s controversial show India’s Got Latent.
Khanna had previously been one of the prominent critics of Raina and his comedy show. His appearance with the comedian in a mobile phone advertisement subsequently triggered reactions on social media, with some users accusing the actor of compromising his earlier position.
Speaking on Subhojit Ghosh’s podcast, Khanna explained that the advertisement was a commercial project and not a collaboration with India’s Got Latent. He revealed that the brand took around 10 days to persuade him to participate.
The veteran actor said he initially questioned how he could appear in an advertisement with Raina when he had publicly spoken against his show. However, he agreed after being shown the script and given the assurance that changes could be made according to his requirements.
Addressing accusations that he had “sold out”, Khanna strongly rejected the criticism.
“Mere log nahi bolenge ki mein bik gaya. Agar mujhe kharidte toh mein bhi gaali-galaoch karta na? Where did I bow down to say he is nice? He was trying… he is very smart. Shaktimaan nahi bik sakta hai, mein uske show mein nahi gaya,” Khanna said.
He further maintained that he had not endorsed Raina’s show and reiterated his opposition to what he described as “roasting programmes”.
Khanna also said his views on India’s Got Latent had not changed despite working with Raina for the advertisement. He pointed out that appearing in a commercial should not be interpreted as supporting everything the comedian does.
Interestingly, the actor also had words of praise for Raina’s personality. Khanna described the comedian as an “enterprising” individual and said he found him to be pleasant during their interaction.
“I found him a very sweet person, cracking jokes. He told me 10 jokes, very very positive,” Khanna said.
At the same time, Khanna argued that Raina understands the commercial appeal of negativity and controversy, suggesting that such content can attract viewers and generate revenue.
Despite the advertisement, Khanna has maintained that he remains opposed to India’s Got Latent and comedy that crosses what he considers acceptable limits.
