Actor Pooja Hegde was shocked to discover that people are being paid to troll her on social media. In a recent interview, Pooja said it is bizarre that PR strategies are often exploited to target and bring down actors, highlighting the sinister underbelly of the entertainment industry. Also read: Pooja Hegde calls Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo with Allu Arjun a Tamil film, internet feels she is in ‘Urvashi Rautela mode’
Pooja reveals
In an interview with Filmfare, Pooja opened up about negative PR strategy and targeted trolling.
Pooja said, “Many times, and to me, it was a shock. The one thing I’m really bad at is PR. I remember there was a time when I was constantly getting trolled by meme pages, and I was like, why are they constantly talking negatively about me? It looked targeted. People are spending a lot of money on pulling down other people. When I found out about it, my parents and I were very bothered. But I also took it as a compliment because if someone feels the need to pull you down, it means you are above them. I kept reassuring my parents that it was okay. But after a point, it became too much. I found out that people were spending lakhs just to troll me”.
Pooja also disclosed that upon instructing her team to investigate the source of the negativity by contacting popular meme pages, she was appalled to discover that the trolling was, in fact, a monetised endeavour, with individuals being paid to spread malicious content.
She added, “I told my team to connect with the meme pages and ask them what the problem was. And they said, ‘This is how much they are paying us. If you’d like to stop it or troll them back, this is the amount.’ To me, it was just bizarre. People believe such things but don’t know why I’m being trolled or what the reason behind it is. Sometimes, I see a horrendous comment, go to the profile, and find that there’s no display picture or any posts. These are just paid bots.”
Pooja’s upcoming work
Pooja was last seen on the big screens in Deva with Shahid Kapoor. The film garnered a lukewarm response from critics, and underperformed at the box office, failing to make a lasting impact on audiences. Next, she will be seen with Varun Dhawan in Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. It is being described as a “commercial entertainer”.
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