Sahil Salathia on getting trolled for his accent: I don’t mince my words

Model-turned-actor Sahil Salathia believes that once in a while, giving it back to online abusers is important. The 33-year-old recently got trolled for his accent during an interview. Salathia wrote a strong Instagram post against trolling.
We got to chat with Salathia over the entire issue and why social media was important in his life. He said, “I don’t take trolling very seriously because most of them are faceless profiles with absolutely no characters on Instagram. But there are days when you just want to put your point.”
Stating that he knows his reply “came across a little harsh”, he said, “Sometimes it’s okay to get or not get inspired at all, but at least don’t be a hater and don’t try to bring somebody else down. My language has always been a little in your face, not to hurt anybody but at the same time I don’t mince my words.”
While the actor refuses he’d ever quit social media despite occasional online negativity, he agrees that he’s “very opinionated and have strong opinions”, and believes “it’s good to find your tribe because there will be enough people who will relate to your opinions.”
“Even if 10 percent of those people will understand the point and rather than abusing artists on Instagram they would work on their skill set, even if you can transform some trolls into healthy mentally fit individuals, I think it’s worth it,” he told us.
Salathia, who hails from Jammu, has represented India at a pageant, while being a popular model. But he was recently targeted for his speech, to which he proudly wore his small town badge and shared how despite not being born with a silver spoon, he got to be the front row guest at the New York Fashion Week this year.
How did he feel being in New York, wearing several Indian designers and representing India? “I felt a lot of pride but I felt more pressure. I had to make that level of impact and in a dignified way. But since I like to keep things edgy, it has to be a perfect amalgamation of everything,” he shared.
Salathia, who made his acting debut with Ashutosh Gowariker’s TV show Everest (2014), was also seen in P.O.W – Band Yuddh Ke (2016), web shows Paurashpur and Kaun Banegi Shikharwati (both 2020) and Adhura (2023), and film Panipat (2019). He will next be seen in a “murder mystery with an urban setting.”
The actor however holds the opinion that modelling is “easy breezy” because you just need to look good. “But the craft of acting is beautiful. When you get the love for playing different characters that’s the thrill and it becomes multifold,” he ends.