Mumbai: Months after publicly slamming comedian Samay Raina and saying he deserved to be “paraded on a donkey” over the ‘India’s Got Latent’ controversy, veteran actor Mukesh Khanna has surprised fans by collaborating with him in a new advertisement.
The unexpected team-up has sparked a flurry of reactions online, with social media users questioning the actor’s dramatic change in stance. Some even joked, ‘Shaktimaan bik gaya’.
It all started after Raina took to Instagram and shared an advertisement for Ai+ Smartphone featuring himself alongside Mukesh.
In the video, the comedian is seen talking on the phone and saying, “Thanks, yaar. The show is returning now. As they say, darkness doesn’t prevail for long.”
Just then, Shaktimaan makes a dramatic entry in his trademark style. Surprised to see him, Samay asks, “What are you doing on my rooftop, sir?”
Mukesh replies, “Teri tedhi dum seedhi karne aaya hoon, Samay Raina (I am here to put you in line, Samay Raina).”
Samay jokingly remarks that he is nervous about being on a rooftop with him and asks him to come inside.
Mukesh says, “3 FIR hone ke baad bhi tum sudhre nahi na? Tera muh kala karna hi padega (Even after three FIRs were filed against you, you still haven’t changed, have you? We will have to blacken your face).”
Samay replies, “Then there’ll be one more FIR against you for doing blackface, right?”
An irked then Mukesh says, “Phirse ghinone jokes. Phirse kutta aakar keh raha hai ki meri dum tedhi hai. Kutta kabhi bhi aakar nahi kehta ki dekho dekho meri dum tedhi hai. Tumhari issi gandi bhasha se logon ka dimaag kharab ho gaya hai. Tum Hindustan mein rehte ho par tumhare jokes ashleel American style ke hain. Joote Japanese hain aur shirt Canada ki (Such disgusting jokes. Once again, a dog comes along and says that my tail is crooked.A dog never goes around saying, ‘Look, look, my tail is crooked.’ It is because of this filthy language of yours that people’s minds have become corrupted. You live in India, but your jokes are vulgar and American in style. Your shoes are Japanese and your shirt is Canadian).”
The exchange concludes with Samay showing Mukesh the smartphone and emphasising that it is made in India.
Netizens were taken by surprise.
One user commented, “Totally unexpected collab before GTA 6.”
Another wrote, “Hahaha, collab no one imagined.”
Another called it “legendary”.
A section of users criticised Mukesh for collaborating with Samay after previously criticising him.
One commented, “Shaktimaan bhi bik gaya (Even Shaktimaan has sold out).”
Another user wrote, “It feels like creating controversy with Samay is good for your bank balance, as he ends up collaborating with every hater and humbling them too.”
One person said, “Shaktimaan ki neeyat badal gayi (Shaktimaan’s motives have changed).”
Criticising Mukesh, an X user wrote, “Mukesh Khanna was brutally abusing Samay Raina for ‘destroying culture’ just a few days back. Today, Shaktimaan is happily shooting a commercial with the same Samay Raina. Now he’s milking his success to stay relevant. Absolute hypocrisy!”
Another tweeted, “He is the same person who was demanding Samay’s arrest after the India’s Got Latent Season 1 controversy. Where are his sanskar and moral values now? Did he sell them for some money?”
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For the unversed, a day after Raina took a dig at ‘Shaktimaan’ star Mukesh in his comedy special Still Alive, the veteran had hit back, calling the comedian “shameless.”
“Samay Raina tu sirf gadhe par baithne ke layak hai voh bhi muh kala karke (Samay Raina, you’re only fit to sit on a donkey — and that too with your face blackened),” he wrote.
“The whole country has scolded him and condemned him. Yet he has come back shamelessly. Now only one thing remains… blacken his face, parade him on a donkey through the cities of the country, and shower him with insults. Let children throw eggs and tomatoes at him because he has insulted their superhero Shaktimaan,” Mukesh had written.
