Hyderabad: A throwback clip of comedian and YouTuber Samay Raina from 2016 has gone viral on social media, and this time, the internet is not just laughing with him, it is looking at a much younger Samay before fame found him.
The old interview, from ETV Urdu, appears to have been recorded during a Kashmiri cultural festival in Hyderabad. In the clip, Samay is seen speaking about what such events meant for Kashmiri Pandits who had moved away from Kashmir.
Talking about the gathering, Samay said, “Iss se humein apnapan mehsoos hota hai, jo ke Kashmir mein nahi mana sakte abhi, kyunki abhi hum log Hyderabad aur dusre shehron mein jaa chuke hain. Toh aise programmes rakhne se humein apnapan jaise Kashmir mein mehsoos hota hai waise hi hota hai.”
He further added that such events also gave people a chance to meet others from the same community. “Aur alag alag dost banane ko milte hain, humare jaise aur logon ko jaanne ka ek achha mauka milta hai,” he said.
The clip has now struck an emotional chord online because it shows Samay speaking about identity and belonging long before he became one of India’s most recognised internet entertainers. Samay, who belongs to a Kashmiri Pandit family, had moved to Hyderabad with his family after being displaced from Kashmir.
For many users, the video is more than just a pre-fame throwback. It shows a young Samay reflecting on community, loss and cultural connection, years before his public image became associated with comedy, streaming and viral internet moments.
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