Sonal Chauhan, well-known for her performance in Jannat opposite Emraan Hashmi, has expressed her support for Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar actress Sharmin Segal, who has been viciously abused for her ‘expressionless’ acting in the series.
She was also slammed for being ‘rude’ to her co-stars during the show’s promotion. Sonal recently posted a lengthy statement on her official Instagram account to defend Sharmin.
Sonal expressed sadness at seeing netizens turn someone into a ‘villain’. While she didn’t name anyone in the post, her caption alluded to Sharmin’s violent trolling.
Sonal wrote, “It is so sad to see how social media/some Instagram pages are making a villain out of a person just because trolling them at this point will bring them a little more traction and engagement.”
The actress added, “It is quite evident how videos are being manipulated to make this particular actor look bad or how statements out of the whole interview are being put there just because making them look bad is ‘trending’ right now. Don’t forget that you started this trend and you’re adding to it. You are adding to the narrative. One’s onscreen performance does not define their entire character or personality. She’s not the villain, you are.”
Sonal also included hashtags such as’shame on you’, ‘draw a line’, and ‘be human’. While the message is no longer visible on her Facebook, a screenshot of it has gone viral across social media networks.
Sharmin was also chastised and labelled a nepotist when the show premiered. A tape from the star cast’s interview recently went viral, and fans believed she was trying to undermine Sanjeeda Sheikh’s reputation. Sharmin was also called out a few days ago for ‘disrespecting’ Aditi Rao Hydari and Richa Chadha.
Sharmin previously said that she had to audition 16 times before landing the job, and that she had to prepare for a year.
Heeramandi has emerged as one of the most viewed series of the year, and while the drama and cast were praised, Sharmin was the only one who was chastised for her underwhelming acting abilities in the magnum opus. The actress was even insulted on her social media posts, prompting her to disable comments.
