iWorld
Gone too soon: IndianTelevision’s Ravi Soni is no more
Mumbai: It is with a heavy heart and profound grief that the Indian Television Dot Com team shares the news of the untimely demise of our colleague Ravi Soni on 10 April. He was all of 28 years old.
“Like a rainbow, fading in the twinkling of an eye, gone too soon…
Like a comet, blazing ‘cross the evening sky, gone too soon…,” go the lyrics of a song “Gone Too Soon” by Michael Jackson.
The words seem fitting to describe the passing away of a young, promising, liked-by-all colleague.
Having joined ITV as production executive while still fresh out of college, Ravi would have completed exactly seven years in the organisation on this 13 April. Just three days short of his tragic, premature death.
“To work with diligence and commitment, to provide possible solutions for issues that arise,” Ravi’s LinkedIn bio read.
And providing solutions he did. To every single production challenge or technical snag that arose, he had a single-word, swift response: “Done”
And the issue was sorted, just like that – without any pressures mounting, temperatures rising or war-of-words in the heat of deadlines to be met in an online news organisation. It was all in a day’s work for Soni.
Ravi’s responsibilities included managing archived content for the website, migrating content to the server, preparing newsletters, editing images and maintaining an image library for the site. He was also involved in the building, maintaining and updating of web-based applications. He worked closely with the creative and editorial teams at ITV and could always be counted upon to save the day when it came to any glitches or last-minute changes while publishing content on the website.
Associated with the publication’s web production and day-to-day running, he was known to be a self-motivated, industrious, and proactive worker who ensured news was uploaded, updated and brought to readers instantaneously.
To his colleagues, he was a gentle, cheerful, ever-helpful, and noble soul who loved cricket passionately. Tragically, it is also on the cricket field that he met his end, during a match on Sunday.
All of us at IndianTelevision and everyone who has known him will miss him deeply and pray that his soul rest in peace. In this sorrowful time, we also extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.
Gone too soon…
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.
