With a mother who is half-Russian and half-Ukrainian and a father who is Bengali, actress Suzanna Mukherjee has grown up imbibing the best of all the worlds. Probably that’s why Suzanna understands and respects both Indian and western cultures as she’s had a taste of both.
When quizzed about the AIB Roast, which has become a subject of much discussion, Suzanna explains, “Though I know, in our Indian culture certain language and jokes are not permissible, the fact is, AIB Roast is a form of comedy which is accepted internationally across all cultures, and not meant to be taken seriously as a criticism or insult. It’s a kind of humor. In fact the American roast is much worse, for example, like ‘Jeff Ross Roasts America’ show or Russell Peters’ roasts are more insulting. I think in India, we need to understand the concept of a roast here. Roasts are not insulting or humiliating as some people think it to be but actually a unique way of honouring the person (Roastee), who is getting roasted (subjected to jokes and insult comedy) and the intention is to amuse the audience (consisting mostly of friends, fans, and well-wishers). I don’t think the AIB roast was meant to hurt or offend anybody. I have seen the video and enjoyed it. We live in a democracy and we should be allowed the freedom of speech. In fact, Karan Johar had come up with the disclaimer at the beginning of the show that those who get easily offended may not like the humor and so they should not watch.”
As for herself, when it comes to being a Roastee, Suzanna laughs, “I would love to be in the audience but when it comes to being roasted for me, I think it will take some time.”
