Shehnaaz Gill cries as she tells Ayushmann Khurrana what people used to say about her: ‘Sympathy le rahi hai’

Shehnaaz Gill interviewed Ayushmann Khurrana in the second episode of her chat show, Desi Vibes With Shehnaaz Gill, where they discussed their opposite approach to handling emotions in public.

Shehnaaz Gill recalled the time when people accused her of ‘trying to gain sympathy’. While she did not mention any incident, the actor had in the past spoken about being trolled after actor Sidharth Shukla's death in 2021. In the latest episode of her chat show Desi Vibes With Shehnaaz Gill, Shehnaaz was joined by her guest Ayushmann Khurrana as they spoke about their different approaches to handling their emotions in public.

Shehnaaz Gill with Ayushmann Khurrana on her show Desi Vibes With Shehnaaz Gill.

Ayushmann Khurrana said to Shehnaaz in Hindi, “You are getting a lot of love from people. Which is a great thing. But to maintain this kind of innocence is a very hard thing to do in our world. But you have done that. I try to be as real as I can be. But I cannot be open and say what is in my heart, unlike you. After you reach a certain position, you cannot share your emotions openly. There’s pressure as people judge you.”

Responding to him, Shehnaaz said, “I feel we are scared of people’s judgement. I don’t think we actors should take that pressure, because we too have a life. If there’s a happy emotion, there’s also a sad emotion, why hide that? Why do we hide and cry, but laugh in front of others? I feel everyone should show their emotions as it is a natural part of life.”

Ayushmaan then said some people’s personality type is such that they don’t feel comfortable sharing their emotions with other. He told Shehnaaz, “You are very courageous, you share your emotions without any fear, you say what is on your mind.” Reacting to his remark, Shehnaaz said, “Main apko sach bolun, main bhi abhi apne emotions thoda dabane lagi hoon. Jaise mere life mein bhi emotional moments aye hain, par main kabhi kisiko bata nahi saki kyunki log likhte the ki ‘sympathy le rahi hai’ (to be honest, I too have started controlling my emotions in public as when I was going through a tough time, people had started writing that I was trying to gain sympathy)... Why am I crying? It’s too much… toh log tumhe judge karte hai (people judge you)…”

As he rallied behind Shehnaaz for support, and tried to console her, Ayushmann said to her in Hindi, “We artists are very emotional, hence I feel it is better that we don’t come out publicly with our emotions… The more you climb up the ladder of success, the more you have to control your emotions in front of others…”

Earlier in August, during an interview, Shehnaaz admitted that she deliberately did not display her emotions in public even though she was hurting after the death of actor and her rumoured boyfriend Sidharth Shukla. Talking about how she kept her emotions to herself and chose not to display her sadness in public, Shehnaaz had told Bollywood Bubble, “Duniya ke aage roge to log bolenge sympathy gain kar rahi hai (People would say I am trying to gain sympathy if I would cry in front of the world)…”

Sidharth and Shehnaaz had met during the reality show Bigg Boss 13 in 2019, where he emerged as the winner, while she was the second runner-up. Their bond was much talked-about with their fans dubbing them SidNaaz. There were rumours that they were dating, but neither had ever confirmed or denied their relationship. Sidharth had died of a heart attack in September 2021.