In a surprising turn of events, comedian Sunil Pal has joined forces with Samay Raina for a profanity-filled advertisement, months after publicly demanding Raina's arrest. The collaboration, which promotes an activewear brand called STRCH, has sparked considerable buzz and debate across social media platforms.
The unlikely pairing stems from Pal's scathing criticism of Raina in February 2025, where he condemned Raina's show "India's Got Latent" and the use of "foul language and obscene content" by contemporary comedians. Pal went so far as to label such comedians as "terrorists" who should be punished for spreading "filth" and being a "blot on our societies". He specifically called for strict action against them, asserting that they were not content creators.
The advertisement features Raina explaining to Pal that a client desires their collaboration, explicitly encouraging the use of excessive abusive language to appeal to younger audiences. Pal initially objects, stating he won't engage in profanity during a comedy show. However, he seemingly changes his stance upon learning about Raina's earnings from such content and joins in with a barrage of Hindi expletives. The clip culminates with the two comedians alongside the founder of the clothing brand, promoting STRCH's features like "stretch" and "anti-odor".
The collaboration ad, released on January 24, 2026, adopts a mock-roast, "face-off" approach, cleverly referencing the real-life tensions between the two comedians. It is framed as an "old school vs. new generation" showdown, with Pal, age 50, challenging Raina, age 27, along with other comedians like Zakir Khan and Tanmay Bhat, to a joke competition. Pal dares them to prove if his "clean" comedy can outperform the new generation's style.
The ad quickly went viral, eliciting reactions from various celebrities and fans. Ashish Chanchlani commented, "Funniest guy in country with Samay Raina," while Raftaar added, "26 me to duniya khatam hone wali thi na". Ahsaan Qureshi also posted laughing emoticons. Many fans expressed amusement and disbelief, with one writing, "Ye kaunse universe mai aagya mai," and another commenting, "We weren't ready for this collab".
The collaboration has been viewed as ironic, especially considering Pal's recent appearance on Siddharth Kannan's podcast where he reiterated his stance, calling Raina and other new-age comedians "terrorists of thought" and criticizing their casual attire. This unexpected partnership has led to widespread memes, debates, and social media discussions, questioning Pal's apparent change of heart.
