'ARE YOU ABUSING ME FOR BEING BORN TO A CERTAIN SET OF PARENTS?' Social media, for me, has can be convicted for three to seven years, which most people don’t even know.
Sonakshi Sinha feels the anger against star kids is misdirected
Having stayed away from Twitter for almost two months, Sonakshi Sinha’s life “changed for the better” and she doesn’t intend to return to it anytime soon. In an exclusive chat, the actor talks about what made her quit Twitter, the raging nepotism and insider vs outsider debate, attacks on star kids’ films, mental health concerns, and spearheading AbBas, an initiative against social media bullying. Excerpts: How were the last two months — did you miss the buzz or enjoyed being away from the toxicity?
More than buzz, it was a buzz kill. It has become a playground for negativity. My life is cleaner since I left it, so no complaints. I’ve also put comments off on Instagram. But is quitting a social media or restricting comments, a long-term solution to deal with trolls? always been a way to connect with my fans. I’ve always put out the things I want to share with the world. But there’s so much of uninvited negativity. I’m really okay without that. However, I feel sad as so many of my fans have been cut off. I’d want to tell young people, who’re impressionable, that your life isn’t just about the validation you get online. In between, you came up with this anti cyber bullying initiative — AbBas. What was the trigger?
People have been at home for five months, and there’s frustration and it’s coming out on the internet. That drove me to do this. I believe if something can’t be said to a person’s face — as there’ll be consequences — people need to know there are consequences even if you say it online. So what should people facing cyber bullying do?
They’re already reporting on the platform, but if harassment is of a level where it’s mentally traumatising, affecting you and your circumstances, you must complain to the police. Culprits Star kids are being mercilessly trolled on social media, more so after the insiders vs outsiders debate. How fair is that?
Nobody likes to hear abuses about themselves, for what — being actors? For being born to a particular set of parents? Today there are more outsiders than so-called insiders in the film industry. People are being ‘bhadkaoed’, there’s a lot of misdirected anger. Okay, fine, being related to a film family can help in that first meeting or first audition or first film, but what after that? Whether an insider or an outsider, nobody can make or break anyone except the audience. As someone born into a film family, how do you look at the nepotism debate? Have you ever used your last name to bag a film?
It might be happening (in Bollywood), but it happens everywhere else as well. And I find it so amusing this word ‘nepotism’ was introduced and sensationalised by a person whose sister is managing their work (laughs). Having said that, my father (Shatrughan Sinha) has never picked up the phone and called any producer to say, ‘Take my daughter in your film’. I was offered Dabangg (2010) because yes, my family knew Salman Khan’s family, that’s it. They saw me, thought I’ll fit the role. After that, I had to work very hard and the audience accepted me. What about films of star kids facing flak, for instance Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, received backlash, and Sadak 2 trailer became the most disliked?
These people are calling out young girls — Ananya Panday, Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor — imagine what they’d be going through. Though they’re strong girls and are keeping their chin up. Does trolling and bullying get too much to handle at times?
It’s a lot of negativity to be subjected to. It makes so many people turn against you for no fault of yours. It affects people’s mental health, too.
Monika Rawal Kukreja