Don’t avoid, rather shame the trolls: Swara Bhaskar

Film actress Swara Bhaskar says Twitter has just become another street for her, where people can misbehave or pass comments by using the default egg profile.

Celebrities are often trolled online when they express their opinion but Swara says the evil of anonymity on social media is responsible for it.

"You can easily hide your real identity on Twitter. You're just a Twitter egg and doing things behind that anonymity. And I feel that invisibility is giving you the power to misbehave," she adds.

While some actors prefer to avoid trolls, Swara, 28, says she always makes sure to give it back to them. Her way of dealing with social media trolls is to respond.

“You should never stay quiet if someone is trying to misbehave with you. Challenge it just like you would react on the street if someone misbehaves with you. You have to respond, you have to not let it slide and that's what I do."

Swara told PTI that for her, social media has become a place “where you can pass comments on girls.” But she is not the one who would hide behind anonymity or shun the medium completely. Instead she is constantly quoting such tweets and then shaming them on the same platform.

At the same time, she thinks actors should be open to criticism because that is how they will know what reality is.

"On my Facebook page, anybody can post anything. And I've deliberately not made it private—which I can easily do by changing my account settings. But I feel like: 'No, I should not'. It's very important to know what reality is and what people are actually thinking about you... as it's easy to become dissociated with real world while sitting in Bollywood.”

Last week, the movie ‘Anarkali Of Arrah’ was released which has Swara in the lead role as a raunchy item dancer in the backwaters of Bihar. The character is popular for her double meaning songs, but she stands up to the misogynists of society. Swara Bhaskar has been receiving rave reviews for her intense performance. The film is directed by debutant Avinash Das.

Inputs by NH Web Desk.