iWorld
ALTBalaji launches original stand-up comedy in Tamil, Telugu
MUMBAI: ALTBalaji has added a pinch of fun, sarcasm, wit to its collection for Tamil and Telugu users. The OTT platform recently launched original stand-up comedy videos inthese languages.
Tamil episodes feature popular stand-up comedians like Shanti Kumar and Shaik Baba Sharifuddin to name a few, while the Telugu library comprises talented and well-known artists Baggy, Manoj and Mervyn.
“We are thrilled to bring original regional stand-up comedy on ALTBalaji. It is fast emerging as a high growth genre for web audiences. Offline stand-up shows have time, place and ticket constraints whereas web as a medium takes away all these pains and enables access on a click. Based on consumer insight, we understood that the stand-up available to viewers in India is mostly English or Hindi, neglecting the regional language demand and so we have identified local talents from these regions and got them on board,” ALTBalaji CMO Manav Sethi commented on the new episodes.
It recently launched regional stand-up comedy videos in Marathi, Punjabi and Gujarati languages as well.
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iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
