Vinod Thakur's Got Talent
February 15, 2012 8:28 AM Subscribe
Born without legs, Vinod Thakur has excelled at breakdance and performed on India's Got Talent.
Second video in the article has his performance from the show.
Second video in the article has his performance from the show.
I cried because I had no Adidas, until I met a man with no feet and saw him do a front handspring transition into a windmill.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 10:20 AM on February 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 10:20 AM on February 15, 2012 [3 favorites]
That was amazing, and I hope it helps Vinod find some financial stability.
But I hate Indian talent shows for exploiting the audience's emotions and the disabled people for the sake of ratings. Every single Indian talent show has a couple of performers who are disabled in some way but are also amazing at what they do. They are brought in early and stay in the race for a while until the inevitably emotional tear-jerking send-off. When they did this on Indian Idol last year (or was that the year before?), that was the last straw for me. I haven't watched an Indian talent show since.
Disabled people have a terrible life in India - buildings, public transport, and even hospitals are not disabled-friendly by default. Employment opportunities are extremely restricted regardless of the actual limitations imposed by your disability. Unless you are born rich enough to afford permanent care, it is very easy slide off into poverty and be reduced to a life on the streets as a beggar. Even the government discriminates against you even after you've cleared the most challenging selection process. And now, talent shows are exploiting you by basically reducing you to an object of pity - the sort of thing you wanted to avoid when you managed to not end up as a disabled beggar.
posted by vidur at 11:02 AM on February 15, 2012
But I hate Indian talent shows for exploiting the audience's emotions and the disabled people for the sake of ratings. Every single Indian talent show has a couple of performers who are disabled in some way but are also amazing at what they do. They are brought in early and stay in the race for a while until the inevitably emotional tear-jerking send-off. When they did this on Indian Idol last year (or was that the year before?), that was the last straw for me. I haven't watched an Indian talent show since.
Disabled people have a terrible life in India - buildings, public transport, and even hospitals are not disabled-friendly by default. Employment opportunities are extremely restricted regardless of the actual limitations imposed by your disability. Unless you are born rich enough to afford permanent care, it is very easy slide off into poverty and be reduced to a life on the streets as a beggar. Even the government discriminates against you even after you've cleared the most challenging selection process. And now, talent shows are exploiting you by basically reducing you to an object of pity - the sort of thing you wanted to avoid when you managed to not end up as a disabled beggar.
posted by vidur at 11:02 AM on February 15, 2012
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posted by Slinga at 9:18 AM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]