Mumbai, Jun 22: Actor Mukesh Khanna is facing social media backlash after appearing in an advertisement with comedian Samay Raina, months after Khanna criticised Raina over explicit language on his YouTube show "India's Got Latent" and for mocking the character "Shaktimaan."

The advertisement was shared by Samay after the launch of his second season of the show India’s Got Latent. The clip begins with Samay talking on the phone and saying: “Thanks, yaar. The show is returning now. As they say, darkness doesn’t prevail for long."

The camera then pans to Mukesh. A surprised Samay is heard saying: “What are you doing on my roof, sir?"

Bringing back the line he had said in the video, where he criticised Samay months ago, Mukesh said: “Teri tedhi dumm seedhi karne ayaa hu, Samay Raina (I am here to put you in line, Samay Raina)."

Mukesh added, “After three FIRs, you don’t seem to have learnt a lesson. We will have to paint your face black."

Referring to the comedian’s language and humour, he took a dig at Samay as he said: “You live in India, but your jokes are American-style."

The conversation eventually turns into a product promotion, with the duo advertising a mobile phone.

Samay ends the ad with “Sorry, Shaktimaan."

However, this collaboration has not gone down well with many social media users, who have tagged Mukesh as “shameless”.

One wrote: “Shameless Mukesh Khanna doing an ad with Samay Raina. Where is his respect now?? #SamayRaina #mukeshkhanna.”

Another said that asked if it was respect or revenue: “Mukesh Khanna went from criticising Samay Raina to doing an ad with him. Respect or revenue?”

“Samay is now collaborating with Sunil Pal and Mukesh Khanna after they publicly criticised him over India’s Got Latent. The guy genuinely understands the market & its demand,” wrote a user.

Tagged as a “grumpy man”, a netizen said: “Grumpy man!! If shamelessness had a face, it would look like Mukesh Khanna. This guy said so many bad things about Samay, but today I found out that all he ever wanted was fame!!”

It was in April when Mukesh Khanna slammed Samay after the comedian took a dig at the actor-producer’s iconic 90s character 'Shaktimaan' in his latest 'Still Alive' show.

Mukesh took to X, formerly called Twitter, where he said that Samay should sit on a donkey and tagged him as a “Kutte ki dum” (a dog’s tail).”

The message read: “Kutte ki dum tedhi rehti hai. Use lakh sheeshiyo main rakho. Baahar nikaalo. Fir tedhi ki tedhi. Samay Raina ki bhi ek dum hai. Kitna bhi maaro, seedha karo, woh waapas tedhi ho jaati hai…”

“(A dog’s tail stays crooked. Keep it locked in a thousand bottles— take it out. still crooked. Samay Raina has the same tail. No matter how much you try to fix it, straighten it.)”

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“Kiyunki woh seedha prani nahi hai. Woh roasted prani hai. Gandagi ki aag main jalaya hua. Pakaya hua. Poore desh ne latara, maara, fir bhi aa gaya besharmo ki tarah.”

“(Because he isn’t simple or straight. He’s a roasted kind of being— burnt, baked in the fire of his own filth. The whole country called him out. Dragged him, slammed him— yet he came back again, shamelessly, almost asking for it again.)”

Mukesh’s statement had come days after Samay spoke about “irrelevant people” trying to grab the spotlight amid India’s Got Latent controversy.

(IANS)