Deepika Padukone’s recent public appearance on Voting Day in Mumbai ignited a social media debate, not for anything related to films and politics but her most personal journey – pregnancy. A wave of trolling and bashing targeted the actress, exposing the disturbing reality of online harassment faced by everyone. Mockery and accusations flooded social media platforms, which clearly revealed the lack of empathy and emotions in social media users. Calling her baby bump fake and staged pregnant walk to even defaming the unborn child of this power couple, the negative mindset of people really stooped to a new low.
However, amidst the negativity, a powerful counter narrative emerged. A positive wave of support rose from women across the country, sharing their own experiences during pregnancy. Many connected with Deepika’s situation, highlighting that pregnancy manifests differently for every woman. Many fellow mothers pointed out that they faced different body changes and cravings during their pregnancy journey and it is so shameful to see the majority of online trolls targeting Padukone were women themselves.
Journalist Faye D’souza started a wave of support through her Instagram post by calling out the negativity Deepika faced, social media and entertainment page Scoopwhoop also joined hands and posted a carousel in soon to be mommy’s support. This outpouring support proves that negativity doesn’t always win. When faced with a united front, trolls lose their power.
This wasn’t Deepika’s first trolling encounter. Throughout her career, she has faced unwarranted criticism about her professional choices, personal life and even her physical appearance. But Deepika has become a Pro in shutting down this negativity with the most powerful weapon: silence. Deepika’s unwavering dignity in the face of online abuse serves as a powerful message for every female. It reminds us that we don’t have to give trolls the power to demean and dictate our self worth.
The Internet has the power and potential to connect and empower, but it can also turn into a suffocating room full of negativity. Deepika is not the only celebrity facing trolling over her choices of life, we have seen examples like Alia Bhatt, Ananya Pandey, Sara Ali Khan and others getting trolled for some very baseless reasons. The invisible keyboard warriors who believe in disrespecting and demeaning others are nothing but a bunch of insecure failures. Let’s learn from these examples and choose to be the change. Online trolling and bullying is horrible, it breaks the confidence and morals of individual and can result in suicide attempts. Let’s hope we create a more positive online environment, one where respect and kindness prevail.
