‘My post on woke celebs wasn’t a dig at anyone’

Nia Sharma is irritated and upset with “woke celebrities” and their “sanctimonious talk” about vaccination. In a recent tweet, the actor asked them to slow down with their posts as vaccines aren’t available in most centres.

Explaining her viewpoint, she says, “Everything is a mess yet everyone is trying to do their bit. This is a global crisis and the world knows about what is happening in India. I have stopped using Instagram because the situation is so overwhelming.”

She is proud of some celebs like Priyanka Chopra Jonas and her efforts for relief on a global level. Sharma adds, “If Priyanka says, go get registered for the vaccine, it makes sense. But celebs who haven’t done much work or aren’t aware of what’s happening, being all preachy is nonsense. My post on woke celebs wasn’t a dig at anyone. Having lots of followers is a farce if you don’t have a connection with your audience. People who think that with 15 or 20 million fans, they are stars are delusional. Today, everyone knows they are supposed to wear masks and how to wear one. I don’t need to make a video educating people on the need to wear masks. TV guys ka hoopla thoda zyada hota hai.”

Sharma finds it funny when people want to be the first to talk about any new development, “just to gain followers”. She says, “Everyone was going on and on about vaccination without knowing the ground reality. It felt insensitive. Everyone wants to look woke and that’s why they are making videos telling people to go get vaccinated. I think they need to slow down. Don’t mislead people.”

Several celebs are also testing positive. Her friend, actor Anirudh Dave, is one such celeb who is critical. “I have been in touch with his family. We are praying for Anirudh’s recovery. I haven’t stepped out of my house for two weeks. Hearing about the passing of various people, whom you might know of, is overwhelming. This is the darkest hour for our country,” she ends.