Comedian Sunil Pal has opened up about his recent appearance on The Great Indian Kapil Show, claiming that he felt “targeted” and “cornered” during the episode featuring Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia. The veteran comedian alleged that the show heavily favoured the younger digital creators while sidelining him despite inviting him as a guest performer.
The episode, aired as a World Laughter Day special, marked Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia’s first major television appearance together following the controversy surrounding India’s Got Latent. Their reunion on Kapil Sharma’s Netflix show generated massive online attention even before the episode premiered.
Sunil Pal, however, now says his experience on the show turned out very differently from what he had expected. Speaking to media outlets after the episode aired, Pal revealed that he had initially been invited to perform a stand-up comedy segment and had even prepared a 15-minute act for the shoot.
According to the comedian, the situation changed once he arrived on set and realised the episode’s focus was largely on Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia. “I was told to come for a stand-up segment, not an interview,” Pal said, adding that parts of his prepared material were eventually cut from the final episode.
The comedian also alleged that he was not mentally prepared for the roast-style humour that unfolded during the episode. Pal said he expected a traditional comedy appearance but instead found himself becoming part of jokes and banter involving Samay Raina.
The tension between Sunil Pal and Samay Raina had already been visible online prior to the show. Pal had previously criticised the style of comedy seen on India’s Got Latent and had made controversial remarks about several digital comedians, including Samay and Ranveer Allahbadia.
During the Kapil Sharma episode, Samay responded with roast-style jokes directed at Pal, leading many viewers online to speculate whether the veteran comedian had been insulted on the show. Clips from the interaction quickly went viral across social media platforms.
While Pal later clarified that he did not feel “humiliated” by the jokes themselves, he maintained that the overall environment of the episode left him uncomfortable. “Jo maine socha tha, wahan nahi hua,” he said, suggesting that the format and tone were not what had been communicated to him earlier.
The comedian also accused the show’s team of favouring Samay Raina throughout the episode. He specifically mentioned Navjot Singh Sidhu, claiming the former cricketer and panelist appeared biased towards Samay during the interactions. Pal even hinted that “some planning” may have been involved behind the scenes.
According to Pal, he felt isolated during portions of the shoot and believed the spotlight remained firmly on Samay and Ranveer because of the controversy and public attention surrounding them. He alleged that his presence was largely used to create additional drama and boost the episode’s viewership.
The episode itself became one of the most discussed instalments of The Great Indian Kapil Show in recent months due to the reunion of Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia after the India’s Got Latent controversy.
The controversy around India’s Got Latent earlier this year had led to widespread backlash after certain comments made during the show sparked outrage online. Following the incident, all episodes of the YouTube show were temporarily taken down.
Samay Raina, who rose to prominence after winning Comicstaan 2, has since become one of India’s most popular stand-up comedians and digital entertainers. Ranveer Allahbadia, meanwhile, remains among the country’s biggest podcast creators through his platform BeerBiceps and The Ranveer Show.
Sunil Pal, on the other hand, represents an older generation of Indian television comedy. Best known for winning The Great Indian Laughter Challenge in 2005, Pal has often spoken critically about the evolution of modern stand-up comedy and online humour trends.
The latest episode and Pal’s subsequent comments have reignited debates about generational shifts in comedy, roast culture and how traditional comedians adapt to newer forms of digital humour.
While some viewers sympathised with Pal and felt he was unfairly treated, others argued that roast comedy naturally involves sharp banter and that the episode was designed in that spirit from the beginning. Social media reactions remain sharply divided.
Despite the controversy, the episode succeeded in generating enormous online buzz, reinforcing The Great Indian Kapil Show’s reputation for blending celebrity appearances with unpredictable comedic moments.