The hate comments that I received on social media initially took a toll on me emotionally, says Saath Nibhana Saathiya 2 actress Akanksha Juneja

Akanksha Juneja, who is currently seen playing the antagonist Kanak Desai in the show Saath Nibhana Saathiya 2, has been receiving mixed feedback for her role. Akanksha says, “As an actor, appreciation is something that all artists always crave for. With social media being an easy mode of communication between actors and viewers, the gap has reduced even further. However, as much as I appreciate the positive feedback, the negative comments have disturbed me a lot. Some comments have even scared me. The audience needs to understand that I’m playing a character like that just on screen; in real life, I’m just the opposite. Recently there were a few ladies with whom I was got into a heated argument as they started scolding me for being so vicious in the show.”

Talking about the hate messages especially on social media, she adds, “While some have been kind enough to encourage and applaud my craft, others send me rude messages that are filled with personal and nasty comments. They say things like ‘You are very rude,’ ‘You don’t have a pretty face,’ ‘You should die,’ and all this used to play on my mind. Even after repeatedly requesting them to stop posting such comments, they don’t. The hate comments initially took a toll on me emotionally, but now I have realised that after a point I can’t do much.”

Over time, she’s learned to deal with them and not let it affect her much. “Comments like these would disturb anyone, but I have realised that this is the result of the show’s good traction. Now I’ve learned to let it go, be happy for all the positive comments and take the positive criticism with a smile.”