You are taking their livelihood away'

Speaking on behalf of all working artists in the showbiz industry, actor Maya Khan lashed out against cancel culture on her Instagram Stories this week, posting a harsh reminder to critics of the far-reaching impact of trolling.

"Whenever you insult an artist, remember that you are taking their livelihood away from them," warned the Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum actor, captioning her post in Urdu. "How can you live with yourself if you let that happen?"

To anyone putting themselves directly in the public eye in service of the film and television industry, it is almost inevitable that a certain amount of trolling will accompany the job. However, Maya highlighted how it is unfair to an artist, who still has to earn a living, to be boycotted. With actors often becoming a magnet for criticism after they have portrayed characters or storylines not in line with their audience's wavelength or viewpoint, Maya urged her followers to learn to separate the art from the artist.

"Every artist is portraying a character," she pointed out. "Say whatever you want about the character but leave the artist alone."

Despite the pressures of facing inevitable trolling, Maya has not shied away from taking on potentially problematic roles. For example, last year, the actor took the lead in Mayi Ri, a drama addressing the sensitive issue of child marriage. At the time, when questioned about the pressure of dealing with such social issues in dramas, Maya acknowledged that there was indeed pressure, especially given the potential repercussions of mishandling such topics. She emphasised the importance of portraying these issues in a balanced and responsible manner to avoid any negative consequences. "There was quite a huge reaction given the topic, which, had it not been dealt with in a balanced way, could backfire," Maya shared.

However, Maya stressed that as an artist, showing all aspects of society comes with the job. Regarding concerns that the show might normalise child marriage, Maya clarified, "Showing child marriage is vital, receiving it is the viewer's responsibility. We will show everything. There's a family [in the drama] and sometimes in a family, early marriage happens. But we're trying to show both the pros and cons of early marriages, as a team. Due to that, all the hues are visible. The good hues, the bad hues, the difficult hues - the entire canvas of child marriage."