Mumbai: Comedian Samay Raina has addressed the dating rumours surrounding him and fellow comedian Sharon Verma.
The speculation gained momentum following their recent interactions, with fans wondering if the two share more than a professional equation.
Samay has now dismissed the buzz, saying it is simply the internet “doing its thing.”
On Wednesday, Samay hosted an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Instagram and asked fans to send in “genuine questions only”. During the interaction, a fan asked if he was dating Sharon.
Responding to the question, Samay said, “No brother, just internet doing its thing.”
Sharon, who appeared as a contestant on India’s Got Latent Season 1, recently returned to the show as a panellist in Season 2. She joined the panel alongside Orry and Archana Puran Singh.
During the episode, Samay joked about Sharon’s Bihari roots, while she hit back with a joke about his Kashmiri background.
Their playful banter, along with their on-screen chemistry and frequent eye contact, caught fans’ attention.
Soon, social media users began sharing romantic edits of the duo on Instagram, fuelling dating rumours.
However, their banter also attracted political criticism. BJP leaders objected to Samay’s remarks, with Maharashtra BJP MLA Ram Kadam strongly condemning the comedian and stating that Kashmiri Pandits should not be treated as subjects of ridicule.
“There are certain forces in society that deliberately make controversial statements simply to gain publicity. Their sole objective is to become famous. We need to understand that the deities of Sanatan Hinduism and Kashmiri Pandits cannot be treated as subjects of ridicule. Someone cannot deliberately do something offensive and then simply apologise afterwards. In the meantime, they get the publicity they wanted across the country for free,” Kadam was quoted as saying by TOI.
Sharon is not the only woman Samay has been linked with. He has also been rumoured to be dating 12th Fail actor Medha Shankr.
Medha appeared as a panellist alongside Varun Dhawan, during which Samay called her his “sabse acchi dost”. He also appeared to go easy on her during the roast, further fuelling dating speculation.
Meanwhile, despite some viewers criticising the new season for being more censored and less raw than the first, India’s Got Latent Season 2 continues to draw strong viewership.
One episode reportedly clocked over 4 crore views within 24 hours of its release.
