Actor and content creator Kusha Kapila recently found herself at the center of controversy following her participation in Aashish Solanki’s “Pretty Good Roast Show” on YouTube. The show featured stand-up comedians Samay Raina, Aaditya Kulshreshth, Shreya Priyam Roy, and Gurleen Pannu, who made jokes about Kapila, including references to her recent divorce from Zorawar Singh Ahluwalia.
In response to criticism from her female and queer fans, Kapila issued a statement clarifying her stance on the roast. She explained that her participation was motivated by friendship and emphasized that no one involved was compensated, countering claims that participants were paid to endure insults.
“It was done in good faith and for a friend,” Kapila stated. “Nobody has been paid (neither comics nor guests) for it so the argument that people are ‘being paid big fat cheques to hear their insults’ is baseless.”
Kapila admitted she was unaware of the jokes beforehand, a decision she now regrets. “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.”
She expressed her discomfort with the jokes, noting that while she endured them in front of a live audience, she was not okay with them being broadcast to millions. “Some jokes straight up dehumanised me. It was shockingly unkind.”
She reflected on the dilemma of letting the episode air, acknowledging that avoiding it might have led to accusations of cowardice and different forms of trolling.
“Over the course of the last six months, 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.”
Kapila concluded by asserting she would not participate in another roast without prior knowledge of the content. She noted that while the previous two roasts she participated in were positive experiences, this one crossed boundaries.
On the acting front, Kusha Kapila will next be seen in “Life Hill Gayi.”