Sarwat Gilani takes a stand against online trolls

Lollywood's accomplished actress Sarwat Gilani has garnered accolades for her internationally recognised film Joyland and has cemented herself among the top-tier actresses in the showbiz fraternity. Her spectacular performance has caused a stir and got her rave reviews from critics.

The Churails star appeared on FWhy Podcast and said, “Let’s call out trolls because I feel that a lot of celebrities go through a lot of tough times, they almost fall into depression, insecurity and shame.”

She spoke out against online trolls who spread negativity and reminded them that celebrities are human beings with feelings who are greatly affected by hate. Social media provides ease of communication, but not all content is useful or respectful. She encouraged haters to reflect and avoid spreading harmful comments online.

Gilani called virtual hate “lethal”, saying it leads to people going off social media “because it creeps under your skin”. Speaking about herself personally, the actor said she refuses to get bullied. “I am the bully, I can’t be bullied. I will be a bully to people who are bullying me, always. I never bully weak or meek people. I feel that just because you have an internet connection and a keyboard, it does not give you the entitlement to put people down.”

The Qaatil Haseenaon Ke Naam actor called it our culture to always focus on the negative rather than encouraging the positive. “That has become such a cultural thing for us. We don’t raise anything, be it a leader, a political figure or someone from the entertainment industry. If someone is doing good, we will not talk about it. The ones who are doing something wrong, we will talk about them. It’s our culture,” she added.

The actor criticised the cultural tendency to only highlight the negative and not acknowledge positive achievements. According to her, it is common in our culture to only discuss flaws and shortcomings, rather than praising those who do well. This applies to leaders, politicians, and those in the entertainment industry alike.

Gilani entered showbiz with Dil Ki Madham Boliyan in 2005, and later starred in Malal. She has many hit projects including Azar Ki Ayegi Baraat, Jawani Phir Nahi Aani, and Meri Zaat Zarra-e-Benishan.