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Actor and content creator Kusha Kapila is in the eye of the storm because of her recent participating in Aashish Solanki’s Pretty Good Roast Show on YouTube, in which stand-up comedians like Samay Raina, Aaditya Kulshreshth, Shreya Priyam Roy, and Gurleen Pannu cracked jokes on her, including some on her recent divorce with Zohrawar Singh Ahluwalia. (Also Read: Vicky Kaushal reacts after Kusha Kapila and Srishti Dixit try to recreate his dance steps from Tauba Tauba song. Watch)
Kusha has now issued a statement, in which she clarified her stance on the roast after her female and queer fans questioned her participation till the end.
Did it for a friend
“It was done in good faith and for a friend. Nobody has been paid (neither comics nor guests) for it so argument that people are ‘being paid big fat cheques to hear their insults’ is baseless.”
“I had no idea what was in store for me. Maybe I should have asked for a script and known better but since friends were involved I didn’t. Rookie mistake.”
‘Dehumanised me’
“While I endured some of the really raspy jokes in front of a live audience and technicians, I absolutely was not okay for it to play for millions of people since some jokes straight up dehumanised me. It was shockingly unkind.”
Learnings from the shoot
“Mine was the first episode to be shot (was shot in January) so everyone had fair bit of learnings post shoot which is why in other episodes, boundaries haven’t been crossed, especially with women.”
‘Would have been called a coward’
If I hadn’t let the episode go live, I would have been called a coward and a crybaby and a different kind of trolling would have ensued.
‘Should have seen this coming’
“Over the course of last six months during negotiations, I have been told that I deserve these jokes and that as a divorced woman I should have seen this coming. Maybe I should have and maybe silence on this topic is seen as cowardice but it’s mostly choosing peace over endless discourse that will likely villainise women.”
‘Won’t sit for a roast again until…’
“This is the third roast of my career technically and I shall never sit for one again lol at least not without knowing what may come for me. The previous two roasts were a wonderful experience. This, too, would have been if all parties involved were aware what may come for them.”
Male audience’s reaction
“A considerable section of the male audience believing I deserve this roast further proves our decision to censor the jokes. You may write something as a joke but it’s not in your hands if it will be perceived as one. Many women in the live audience post the roast shared their disapproval of the jokes and I understood where they came from and I, too, come from the same place.”
‘I don’t stand for everything’ in the roast
“We all have our boundaries and all of those boundaries are valid and should be respected. I may have sat for the roast but I don’t stand for everything that has come out of it. I take pride in the fact that I didn’t stage a walkout and after what was thrown at me, I found the gumption to still perform.”
On the acting front, Kusha will be next seen in Life Hill Gayi.
