'The Hate Went Too Far'

'I have a really strong support system at home and they keep me going.'

Sharmin Segal, whose performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar has come for trolling, is no mood to take the naysayers on headlong.

But she relents when Subhash K Jha requests her.

Clarifying her comment on the 'nothingness' in Meena Kumari's performances, Sharmin says, "I don't know why people are leaving out the sentence that I said, which was, 'I tried to emulate the way Meena Kumariji looks into nothingness' and just extracting the word 'nothingness' from what I said.

"In no way was I calling Meena Kumariji or her performance in Pakeezah 'nothingness'. That is not something I would ever do. I was referring to the way she stares into infinity and looks at something celestial that only she can see, whereas in reality there is nothing there.

"It is sad how people have only picked up one word, and taken it out of context.

"I would like to make one more thing clear on this issue: I would never dare compare myself to Meena Kumariji. She is a legend. I was just inspired by her greatness. As artistes, we are always inspired by our surroundings and people we look up to. It was never a comparison."

About the savage trolling that she has been subjected to, Sharmin says, "With everything that is of significance in life, there is good and there is bad. Both sides should be looked at and given importance to. And it is important to remain grounded.

"We live in an unpredictable world today, where everyone is vulnerable because of social media. My interviews were being taken out of context and some of my co-stars have spoken graciously as to how these interviews were taken out of context.

"I share a cordial equation with both Aditi Rao Hydari and Sanjeeda Sheikh. I wish that people would not use 10 seconds out-of-context clips to define the relationship I share with them.

"I know that I have really worked hard on my character, Alamzeb. After that, it is up to the audience to like or dislike my performance. I think the hate went too far but I have a really strong support system at home and they keep me going."