Veteran comedian Sunil Pal has finally opened up about the controversial episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show featuring Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia — and according to him, the entire atmosphere during filming felt heavily one-sided against him.
The episode, released around World Laughter Day, quickly became a major discussion point online after many viewers noticed Sunil repeatedly getting roasted throughout the segment while Samay received louder reactions and support from the panel. Social media clips from the episode spread rapidly, with several users claiming the veteran comedian looked uncomfortable and unfairly targeted during parts of the show.
Now, during a recent conversation with YouTuber Suraj Kumar, Sunil has claimed that several moments audiences saw onscreen did not fully reflect what actually happened during filming. According to him, he originally arrived on the show expecting to perform a proper stand-up set rather than simply becoming part of a roast-heavy panel interaction.
Sunil revealed that he had prepared a 15-minute comedy act for the show and said the segment had even been finalized beforehand with the production team. However, once he reached the set, he allegedly discovered that Samay and Ranveer would also be participating in the episode. He claims he ultimately never got the opportunity to perform the stand-up act he had prepared because several of his segments and jokes were later edited out.
The comedian also suggested the audience response during filming felt unusually tilted in Samay’s favour. While discussing the experience, Sunil used a dramatic comparison, saying he felt “surrounded like Abhimanyu,” referring to the Mahabharata character trapped and cornered during battle. According to him, people around the set seemed to react strongly even to Samay’s smallest jokes while many of his own punchlines received little or no visible response.
He specifically mentioned reactions from Navjot Singh Sidhu and Archana Puran Singh during the episode. Sunil suggested that even they appeared restrained compared to the exaggerated appreciation he believes Samay received during filming. He also hinted that some reactions may have felt “planned” from his perspective.
Sunil further alleged that several vulgar gestures and abusive lines from the actual recording were edited out before the episode streamed publicly on Netflix. While he stopped short of directly accusing the makers of intentional manipulation, he admitted the entire experience gave him the feeling that certain dynamics may have been pre-decided before cameras started rolling.
Interestingly though, despite his frustration with the episode itself, Sunil clarified that his personal relationship with Samay off-camera remains respectful. According to him, Samay behaves politely whenever they meet and even touches his feet as a gesture of respect. That detail adds another layer to the situation because it suggests the tension may be more connected to onscreen comedy dynamics and industry politics rather than an outright personal feud.
The controversy surrounding their appearance together already carried extra attention because of their previous history linked to the India’s Got Latent controversy last year. During that backlash involving Ranveer Allahbadia’s comments, Sunil had publicly criticized Samay and even used extremely harsh language against him at the time. Because of that, viewers were already closely watching how the two comedians would interact if they ever shared a stage again.
During the Kapil Sharma episode itself, Samay openly mentioned being disappointed that Sunil had not supported him during the controversy. Meanwhile, Kapil Sharma and other panel members also joined in with jokes targeting Sunil’s comedy style and career. For some viewers, the roasting felt like standard comedy banter. For others, the balance appeared uncomfortable, especially considering Sunil’s status as a senior comedian in the industry.
The reactions online have remained deeply divided since the episode aired. Some audiences defended Samay’s sharp roast-comedy style, arguing that such interactions are common in modern stand-up culture. Others felt the episode exposed a growing generational divide between old-school television comedians and newer internet-era comics whose humor often leans far more aggressive and unapologetic.
And honestly, that larger cultural clash may be the real reason the episode created so much conversation. Sunil Pal comes from an era of mainstream family television comedy, while Samay Raina represents a newer digital generation shaped by roast culture, edgy internet humor, and live audience shock value. Watching those two worlds collide on the same stage was always going to create tension — whether intentional or not.
