Exclusive: Gautami Kapoor takes a break from social media! Left scarred by nasty comments

Known for speaking her mind, Gautami Kapoor has sometimes found herself at the centre of social media storms. This time, however, the abusive comments took a serious toll on her mental health, prompting her to step away from Instagram for a while. The De De Pyaar De 2 actress, who regularly shared dance and lighthearted videos, has not posted anything for over two months.‘I didn’t want anything to disrupt that peace’In a chat with Bombay Times, Gautami opened up about her sudden absence from social media. “It’s been over two months since I posted anything. Social media became a very toxic space for me. I was receiving horrible, disrespectful comments — not something I needed to read first thing in the morning. I’ve reached a stage in life where I don’t need validation from anyone. I am happy in my own space,” she says, adding, “Things were said about my family and people I love. That’s why I chose to distance myself from social media. Since I stopped checking Instagram, I’ve realised I suddenly have so much extra time.”‘I felt extremely demotivated’Recalling the moment that pushed her to make the decision, Gautami shares, “The comments coming my way were so awful that I don’t have words to describe what they did to my mental health and peace. A few weeks ago, early one morning, I checked my reels, and the first thing I saw was a horrible comment. It was explicit and explosive, and it put me in a very bad headspace. I felt extremely demotivated. I didn’t like feeling that way, so I consciously decided to keep my life private. I’ll only return to social media when I have something to share aboutmy work.” ‘Work shouldn’t depend on follower counts’Gautami also expresses disappointment over the industry’s growing obsession with social media numbers. “Over the past several months, many people told me that work opportunities now depend on the number of Instagram followers you have. I was shocked. My followers and growth have always been organic. I don’t understand how someone’s body of work can be judged by follower counts,” she says.