When actor Kirti Kulhari cut her hair short, it was a surprise to her fans. While many loved her new avatar, there was one section of the audience who made assumptions about the actor’s sexual orientation because of her new hairstyle.

Kirti shared that her decision to cut her hair wasn’t about starting a trend but was simply something that felt right at the time. She told Bollywood Bubble in an interview about how she received messages from women saying she had inspired them to do the same and was surprised by how a small action could have such a big impact.

However, she also addressed the societal pressure surrounding haircuts and the expectations imposed by family members. When asked about a particularly shocking comment she received, the actor recalled, “The day I wrapped up the shoot of Hisaab Barabar, I went home and chopped my hair off. When I did, I started getting comments suggesting that people were expecting me to come out as a lesbian. They were saying, ‘She’s going to come out of the closet and announce it soon—just because of her hair.’ So, if I have long hair, I’m not a lesbian, but the moment I cut it, you assume I am? Because your attachment to someone being a homosexual is how she keeps her hairstyle. I was rather amused by the way people see what you do through their lens.”