Actor Jasmin Bhasin recently visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, wearing a teal-green abaya. When she posted a reel of her trip, she was trolled on social media for wearing the attire despite being a non-Muslim. However, the Bigg Boss 14 contestant asserts she simply “paid respect and followed the rules”. “It was a sacred place. It’s a rule [at the mosque] to wear a certain attire, and that’s what I did,” she shares.

Bhasin, who turns 33 today and is currently holidaying in Italy with her boyfriend, actor Aly Goni, says she has learned to ignore trolls and not get bogged down by negativity. “I choose what to wear and where I go. When I go on a beach vacation, I wear swimsuits. If I put up a picture of that tomorrow, I might be trolled again. So, I choose to ignore all this negativity,” she says, adding, “If you give certain things more energy and importance, they increase. And I don’t want that in my life.” 

Bhasin, who has spent over a decade in the entertainment industry, addresses the constant scrutiny celebs go through. She says after a point, one just comes to terms with how things are in the virtual world and “choose to look at only the positive comments”.

Recently, the Naagin 4 actor had to drop out of a Vikram Bhatt film, which could have marked her Bollywood debut, due to issues with dates. When asked if she regrets this, she replies, “Of course, you feel bad about it, but I shall wait for a new opportunity to come my way.”

Bhasin, who made her acting debut in 2011 with the Tamil film Vaanam, has only featured in a handful of regional films since then. Is that a conscious decision? “I want to make sure that whenever I do [a film], it has a strong script and a character that leaves a mark,” reasons the actor, adding, “So, I’m waiting for the right script and the people to work with in Bollywood.”