REALITY interview
access to smartphones today, and they are reading
and watching the constant rant and rage on social
media. What is our future going to be?”
Shahane temporarily witnessed a trailer of
the impact it can have on young minds when
her elder son, Shauryaman, 16, once reacted
aggressively to a negative tweet against her. “My
husband (Ashutosh Rana) and I were discussing
a certain comment on Twitter and Shuaryaman
happened to hear us. He was furious, and
I realised in that moment how negatively these
things can affect a household. We had to sit him
down and explain that the last thing one should
do while responding to hate is rage back. That is
not going to solve anything. He heard us out, but
was visibly upset.”
Does she feel that being a woman with an
opinion in the online world is a difficult task? “All
over the world, it is assumed that women are not
intelligent, and if they are, they don’t show it.
Say for instance, my husband and I share the
same thought on social media, I can bet on the
fact that I will be trolled more only because I am
a woman. Moreover, why is every woman with
an opinion called a feminazi? What the hell?
Sometimes, usmein bhi pseudo attach karenge—
pseudo feminazi. Let’s look beyond hashtags,
please!” she asserts.The pen is mightier than the sword, they say,
and Shahane is a complete believer. She prepares
a draft of her thoughts and checks it for grammar,
before putting up a post on social media. “One
must be responsible with one’s words,” she says.
That’s exactly why she doesn’t blame the
current crop of actors for holding back when
they are asked for opinions on the country’s state
of affairs. “Stars are guarded because they know
the weight of what they are carrying on their
shoulders. Any negative comment could become
a campaign, which will be detrimental to the
work of many people involved in the film. Which
star will take it upon himself?”
She also thinks it’s ridiculous to expect
everyone to be vocal. “Each person has
a certain personality, and they might not be
interested in what’s going on apart from their
work and life, and you have to give it to them;
it’s a valid way of living. Now that I voice
my opinion, people expect me to talk about
everything. It’s not possible! My life is not
spent on YouTube and Twitter. I have a family
and work life,” she adds.
Shahane might not be a regular feature in
Hindi films today—the actor has not been offered
a project that interests her in a long time—but
is busy shooting What the Folks Season 3 starring
Eisha Chopra, Dhruv Sehgal, Deepika Amin, and
Shishir Sharma among others. “I love the web
space; it’s a platform where normal conversations
can occur. It’s a breath of fresh air,” she says. Much
like her opinions, wouldn’t you agree?Shahane’s Facebook post
on the deaths in Bihar
kick-started a dialogue
on the platform“Why is every woman with an opinion
called a feminazi? What the hell? Let’s
look beyond hashtags, please!” PHOTOGRAPHS: VINAY JAVKARREALITY interview
access to smartphones today, and they are reading
and watching the constant rant and rage on social
media. What is our future going to be?”
Shahane temporarily witnessed a trailer of
the impact it can have on young minds when
her elder son, Shauryaman, 16, once reacted
aggressively to a negative tweet against her. “My
husband (Ashutosh Rana) and I were discussing
a certain comment on Twitter and Shuaryaman
happened to hear us. He was furious, and
I realised in that moment how negatively these
things can affect a household. We had to sit him
down and explain that the last thing one should
do while responding to hate is rage back. That is
not going to solve anything. He heard us out, but
was visibly upset.”
Does she feel that being a woman with an
opinion in the online world is a difficult task? “All
over the world, it is assumed that women are not
intelligent, and if they are, they don’t show it.
Say for instance, my husband and I share the
same thought on social media, I can bet on the
fact that I will be trolled more only because I am
a woman. Moreover, why is every woman with
an opinion called a feminazi? What the hell?
Sometimes, usmein bhi pseudo attach karenge—
pseudo feminazi. Let’s look beyond hashtags,
please!” she asserts.The pen is mightier than the sword, they say,
and Shahane is a complete believer. She prepares
a draft of her thoughts and checks it for grammar,
before putting up a post on social media. “One
must be responsible with one’s words,” she says.
That’s exactly why she doesn’t blame the
current crop of actors for holding back when
they are asked for opinions on the country’s state
of affairs. “Stars are guarded because they know
the weight of what they are carrying on their
shoulders. Any negative comment could become
a campaign, which will be detrimental to the
work of many people involved in the film. Which
star will take it upon himself?”
She also thinks it’s ridiculous to expect
everyone to be vocal. “Each person has
a certain personality, and they might not be
interested in what’s going on apart from their
work and life, and you have to give it to them;
it’s a valid way of living. Now that I voice
my opinion, people expect me to talk about
everything. It’s not possible! My life is not
spent on YouTube and Twitter. I have a family
and work life,” she adds.
Shahane might not be a regular feature in
Hindi films today—the actor has not been offered
a project that interests her in a long time—but
is busy shooting What the Folks Season 3 starring
Eisha Chopra, Dhruv Sehgal, Deepika Amin, and
Shishir Sharma among others. “I love the web
space; it’s a platform where normal conversations
can occur. It’s a breath of fresh air,” she says. Much
like her opinions, wouldn’t you agree?Shahane’s Facebook post
on the deaths in Bihar
kick-started a dialogue
on the platform“Why is every woman with an opinion
called a feminazi? What the hell? Let’s
look beyond hashtags, please!” PHOTOGRAPHS: VINAY JAVKAR