Let her be: Internet comes to Sajal Aly's defence as trolls mock her English

A rather strange occurrence within the X (formerly Twitter) stratosphere has involved fans and critics alike in defending Sajal Aly. The celebrated actor became a target of some rather unfair bullying, where an X user posted a clip of the star speaking in English, saying, "People will start rising in love instead of falling in love – you know what I mean? You know we say, 'Let's fall in love?' Why 'fall' in love, man? Just rise in love."

The X user posted this clip with the rather unfair caption, "Sajal trying hard to use her brain cells." This sparked outrage from many, who went on to defend the star for a saying she did not invent, and one that has been used by public figures time and again.

One X user quoted Sajal and wrote in their post, "I have a degree in literature and teach ELA in elementary school in the US where I’ve grown up. Nothing wrong with this grammatically or otherwise. You like making fun of your own for kicks?" Another said, "Leave my queen alone this isn’t even grammatically incorrect, let her be." Yet another stated, "I'm sorry but none of you read or engage in books as much as you all say you do? Because if you did, you'd know this isn't a new thought she's come up with. I've heard that saying before. And you'd also know what she meant was you'd want to empower in love not just submit or fall."

However, not all were convinced. "She thought she ate," said one X user. "If you're as hot as Sajal Aly, you're allowed to say whatever you want," said another. Even though there were those who did not understand what Sajal meant and thought it reflected poorly on her English language skills, there were still those who pointed out the evident colonial hangover that seemed to radiate from the posts of those ridiculing the actor.

"If Taylor Swift or someone said the exact same thing, you'd be calling them mother," said one X user. In fact, Taylor is attributed famously to have said, "We should love, not fall in love, because everything that falls, gets broken." One X user defended Sajal by saying, "Mocking her because she’s not as fluent in English? You all hit a new low every day. Plus, what she said has been said a million times before, especially in books." And this is true. A quick Google search shows that what Sajal is saying is, in fact, a mantra of sorts outlets use time and again when talking about falling in love.

One X user elaborated on the same, "Rising in love means being able to make your own choices and decisions and also making your partner capable of the same. And that's what she meant. People in quotes lack brain cells and it is so evident. If you don't understand something, Google it rather than mindlessly trolling."

All in all, it's strange to see a case of mocking one's own at a time when practices of decolonisation are being discussed. Correcting someone's grammar may be necessary at times for the betterment of the individual's linguistic skills, but to take to a public platform and troll them does not add up in any way, shape, or form.

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