‘DON’T POPULAR PEOPLE WORK HARD?’

Actor Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya talks about the “anti-popularity syndrome”; says she has worked hard to reach where she is today

Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya (right) has been juggling between her super hit daily soap and a dance reality show she is currently participating in. But, of late, the popular actor has been receiving a lot of flak on social media. Reportedly, she is irked by reactions of people on social media, who have been “trying to hurt her image”. Divyanka feels her hard work and talent are being undermined and that she is being attacked. “Being popular comes with a price tag. In the recent times, I have come across this antipopularity syndrome. Everything you do is scrutinised to find flaws. Even your popularity is questioned. If you are injured and yet walk without showing the pain and deliver a performance — people call it an act,” she says. Divyanka has had a back problem for years, which got aggravated due to dancing. Her ankle, too, was strained, as she suffered a fracture a year ago. Divyanka feels the barometer for a popular actor is “much higher” as compared to other actors on the show. She adds, “Am I ranting? Not at all. My husband (Vivek Dahiya) and I are our own competition. I love challenges and take them head on. The reason celebrity reality shows work well is because wellknown faces participate in them. Popularity barometers question your hard work, but don’t popular people work hard? I don’t believe in overnight success. It’s my hard work, which has brought me here. I’ve toiled hard for days and sacrificed my personal life for it. I have overcome physical pain to deliver a good performance. If you choose to question my hard work, then I must say you’ve succumbed to the antipopularity syndrome.” The actor admits that she chose to do the reality show as she wanted to spend more time with her husband and learn an art form. She doesn’t regret anything. “It is challenging to do two shows together. I pack up from one shoot and head to the rehearsals, and that has been my life for the past few months.” Talking about the negativity online, she says, “As actors, we can’t control scripts, scores or comments. What we do have is our hard work. My biggest motivation are my fans, who constantly send me positive messages through various social networking sites.”