When Nikki Tamboli recently shared a post on Instagram, several users called her a pornstar. Not one to let these nasty comments affect her sense of self, the Entertainment Ki Raat Housefull contestant says, “Why demean a woman at the cost of another woman? Aren’t these the same horrendous individuals who enjoy adult films with their lustful eyes? Even an adult film star deserves respect on a humanitarian level.”

With films like Chikati Gadilo Chithakotudu (Telugu), Kanchana 3 (Tamil; both 2019) and Jogira Sara Ra Ra (Hindi) to her name, the 26-year-old insists she doesn’t seek external validation for her work and adds, “Trolls and haters can do their best to bring me down but I will rise like a phoenix from the ashes. I’m not here to get validation from people whose job is to spend time on social media to troll those trying to do something constructive.”

But online hate can impact a person’s mental health and the actor shares her way of dealing with it: “Learn to differentiate between what’s relevant and what doesn’t deserve your attention. I’m here to carve my niche. I don’t have a filmi background to serve me projects on a platter and this thought helps keep me sane. There are so many things to focus on that even 24 hours are less.”