By Chirag Sehgal,Grace Cyril,News18
Copyright news18
Sufi Motiwala, who recently made his acting debut with Do You Wanna Partner, has already managed to impress audiences with his nuanced performance. In a short time, the 21-year-old has showcased a depth and sensitivity that go beyond his social media persona, hinting at a promising career ahead. Speaking about his journey in an exclusive interview with CNN-News18 Showsha, Sufi shared that while he enjoys connecting with fans online, there is much more to him than what meets the eye. Here are some of the excerpts from our conversation with Sufi Motiwala:
What’s one misconception people have about you that you want to clear?
I don’t want to reveal everything about myself at the age of 20 because then what will I do at 25? So just because there’s a certain character that I am on social media right now doesn’t mean that you know that’s all that I am and that’s all that you judge me by. There’s a lot more about me and to me that you still don’t know.
And what is it that people still don’t know about you?
My personal life, my past, my future plans, who I am as a person. Other than fashion, people think that just because they know what I like and dislike in fashion, they know my likes in general. But that doesn’t define anything. You don’t know what I like to do with my past time, you don’t know how I am as a person. Outside of Instagram with my friends, you don’t know frankly, anything about me. So, for you to sit and think that I am the most horrible person on the internet, while there are so many other actual horrible people who are horrible in real life and I know that. And you love that on the internet because of the short-sighted perception that they have created for themselves on the internet. So I think that’s just funny and I would love for people to be more rational with the way they consume content.
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Do you prefer that people don’t know too much about you?
Yeah, I don’t want people to know about me in ways that aren’t controlled by me. In the past, I’ve often felt out of control with my decisions and the things happening around me. So if I ever choose to talk about my past or share something personal, I want to do it in a creative way, something that’s not just about my experience but about the emotions I felt. That way, people my age can relate to it and maybe find comfort in it. I don’t want to make it a rage-bait moment on Instagram like, ‘Oh, this happened to me, oh my God.’ For me, the incident itself is the least important thing; what really matters is how it shaped me and what I learned from it. If I ever share my life, I want to do it in that way. And for that, I think I still need to grow a little more, learn a little more.
You come across as very strong and unapologetic on social media. But is there a softer, more vulnerable side to you that people don’t see?
You know, unlike those influencers who are always like, ‘Oh my God, I love you, I support you,’ my reality is different. In India, being LGBT is very hard. There are so many experiences. Sometimes it’s not even something big, just a random person looking down on you or making a remark. I think on social media, I’ve come across as very unemotional, unapologetic, even harsh. But in reality, I’m extremely sensitive. Honestly, if I watch two sad videos back-to-back, I’ll start crying. That’s a whole different side of me that I’ve kept away from the internet, but I think in time, people will see it too.
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How do your friends and family react to your journey so far, and where do you seek validation today?
I think the best thing about my friends and family is that they’re very grounded in reality. I keep my circle small, so I don’t really spend time reading comments or worrying about what people online are saying. Honestly, I’m not even that famous for it to matter. Earlier, I used to seek validation from social media, but it became very corrosive. Now, I look for validation from the people around me – my team, my friends, my family. I expect them to be honest, rational, and upfront about what I’m doing. If they just keep praising me, I’ll never grow.
What kind of support or feedback matters most to you from the people around you?
My biggest fear is that this might end up being my peak. I don’t want people to look back and say, ‘Oh, he was great in 2020 and then disappeared.’ I want this to be my debut, leading to bigger things. That’s why the one thing I crave most is constructive, honest criticism. Which is why I’ll tell you too, once you see this show, you better tell me if I’m horrible or not.”