Be kind to others; we all have been taught this since childhood, but how often have you been kind to yourself as adults? Celebs share their take on World Kindness Day

Sheetal

‘I’ve been searching the ways to heal myself, and I’ve found kindness is the best way’
— Lady Gaga, singer-songwriter.

Charity begins at home! So, in order to be kind and compassionate towards others, one must learn how to be kind with one’s own self. On this World Kindness Day, we ask celebrities whether they have been kind to themselves and how they started to practice it. Also they reveal whether people in the entertainment industry are as kind as they pretend to be!

Thin line

When it comes to people, I show kindness by never speaking in a tone that I wouldn’t appreciate listening to. There is a very thin line between self-love and being selfish, and I tend not to cross that. In the entertainment industry, since I am not harsh with anyone, I do expect the same behaviour from others.

— Ankur Nayyar, actor

Spiritual space

Ever since I started my spiritual journey, it has helped me explore silence and kindness. One can be kind in today’s world by just not judging everyone, including our own selves. I forgive myself for mistakes that I have made. And by not judging others, I am kind to them. If we all become kinder with each passing day, the world would be a happier place to live in.

— Namita Lal, actress

Mental game

I learnt it the hard way, but I did realise that kindness starts from within. Otherwise, it’s truly meaningless. The industry has taught me a lot. The kind of rejections we face, comments and the criticism that we receive takes a toll. People just go out there and make statements about you without realising the impact it will have on your mental health. And I think it’s not only applicable to the industry, but to the world.

— Pranitaa Pandit, actress

Learning curve

I feel that humanity is synonymous with kindness and we all should be very kind not just to each other. but also animals. I came to Mumbai and had only one distant reference from a friend’s father, and he helped me so much financially. In the entertainment industry, I feel everybody lives, talks and sells emotions on and off screen. This has made most of us kind and respectful, but a few have learnt to play with emotions!

— Saanand Verma, actor

Body wise

During the lockdowns, being a big foodie and not really a fan of home-workouts, my sweet tooth led me to overindulge. My sugar readings went above the normal range. This made me realise that I should be kind to my body and not punish it for such temporary pleasures. Talking about kindness in the entertainment industry, I would say that it all depends on the individual. Whether it’s the entertainment industry, corporate, politics or sports, kindness is a quality which everyone should imbibe.

— Ishaan Singh Manhas, actor

Not a selfish act

Kindness to one’s own self should be the top priority. But I feel most of the time we keep forgetting that. Also, kindness to self is sometimes mistaken as a selfish act. For the longest time in my life, I was someone who would sacrifice my choices and comfort for the people I cared about. But I realised that this sacrifice could become self-sabotaging, which made me kinder towards myself. As far as the industry goes, I have seen the kindest people around and others as well.

— Mitaali Nag, actress