Partially blind IGL contestant on PIL against show for mocking disabled: ‘Don’t need others to decide what’s offensive’

Among the many controversies surrounding India’s Got Latent, hosted by Samay Raina, one involved allegations of mocking specially abled contestants—including Kushal Bhanushali, a visually impaired comedian who appeared on the show. Recently Kushal uploaded a reel on Instagram taking up the subject in his own way and in an exclusive interview, spoke to us about the intentions behind the post.

“People are judging on behalf of disabled people without asking us what we think. We don’t need others to decide what’s offensive. Sometimes, we want to be treated like everyone else—and that includes being the subject of jokes too,” he told us.

The show came under scrutiny after the Cure SMA Foundation of India filed a petition in the Supreme Court, accusing the host and others of making insensitive remarks about disabled individuals. The NGO works to support children affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic disorder.

The petition specifically cited instances from the show where Samay Raina asked a visually impaired contestant, “Which of your eyes should I look into?” and in another episode had also made remarks regarding the treatment costs for a two-month-old child with SMA. The petitioners argued these comments were humiliating and trivialized the struggles of disabled people. The apex court stressed that freedom of speech is not absolute and does not justify speech that damages the dignity of vulnerable sections of society.

Kushal, who has partial blindness, appeared on the show to showcase his comedy skills. He said that despite the controversy, his experience was positive and helped open new opportunities. “Before this, I struggled to get stage slots. After appearing on the show, I started getting regular calls,” he explained. He also revealed that following his performance, many differently abled people reached out to him. “They told me watching me gave them the confidence to try stand-up or put themselves out there in public,” Kushal said.

Addressing the broader debate about comedy and sensitivity, Kushal emphasised the need for direct communication. “If something is offensive, let the person it concerns say so. Before assuming anything, just ask,” he advised.