….Or, I trolled you so! The five who were most brutally trolled in the year that the world went viral in more ways than one.
Karan Johar: Easily the most trolled Indian of 2020 in the whole universe, Karan made the cardinal mistake of posting what he thought was a sweet sentimental message on Sushant’s death. It triggered off a backlash more venomous and voluminous than the Corvid virus. For a while some of Karan’s close friends feared he might cave in. But he survived. He may even write a book about the experience of being the most trolled human being on earth.For a while at least. No, the book is not called Karan Zehar
Swara Bhaskar: From rape threats to being questioned about her loyalty to the country, Swara has learnt to expertly maneuver her way through the muck. In 2021 Swara stood her ground, refused to be daunted by the trolls. Says Swara, “Social media should have been a platform that helped us connect across geographical and time and space borders. It was and in some ways is a beautiful possibility. However, we have as a society and I mean across the world used it to sink to our lowest selves and indulge our basest instinct- anonymous bullying and harassment. I’ve always believed that there is only one way to deal with bullies- call them out! That’s how I handle social media toxicity.”
Taapsee Pannu: Another woman of substance who won’t be cowed down, Taapsee remains incredibly restrained and devilishly smart in her subtle sarcasm, while negotiating trolls. She tells me her secret recipe for surviving the savagery of trolling: “Most of the time I don’t allow myself to get provoked. The alarming thing is, there’s so much of the toxicity one just gets used to it and immune to. I don’t know whom it’s more unfortunate for that I’ve gotten so used to the toxicity that it doesn’t affect me anymore.”
Anurag Kashyap: He fearlessly propagated his anti-government views on Twitter. Many say he has been punished for it. I don’t see Kashyap being crushed by the brutal attempts to silence him. He is stubbornly outspoken and somewhere I think enjoys riling people and their political leanings.
Sona Mahapatra: This is one feisty lady. She has turned Twitter into her own territory of truthfulness, the patrolling and the trolling be damned. Especially when it comes to her strong unbiased opinion on sexual harassment and the MeToo offenders Ms Mahapatra isn’t to be messed around with.
