Suniel Shetty, a popular Bollywood actor, sent a moving letter in which he discussed his experiences with anxiety and his coping mechanisms. Suniel discussed times in his life when fear had an impact in an article uploaded on LinkedIn, including his early days on film sets and working with superstar Rajinikanth. The actor also admitted that he felt really uneasy when his daughter Athiya Shetty introduced her then-boyfriend, cricketer KL Rahul, who is now his wife, for the first time.
Suniel stated, “I was petrified on my first day on a film set, and almost never showed up. 30 years later I still felt nervous on my first day of filming with the great Rajinikanth Sir.”
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He wrote in a blog post about the first time he saw his son-in-law KL Rahul, “At home, I felt jittery when Athiya was bringing Rahul over to meet us as a family for the first time.”
Suniel Shetty further wrote on his perspective on fear, “Everyone, without exception, knows what fear feels like. We’ve all faced it at some point – in both, our professional & personal journeys. But here’s the thing – what if we treated fear like it could be our ticket to something big? In my years in films and business, I’ve learned a thing or two about those scary moments. With time, I trained myself to treat fear like little signals that I’m standing on the edge of something great. It’s almost like my mind telling me, “Hey pay attention, something important is happening here! Think about it – whenever we’ve faced something new, whether it’s stepping onto a movie set for the first time or diving into a new venture, we naturally feel fear or nervousness. Just like when you’re hiking up a steep mountain and your heart pounds, fear is a sign that you’re climbing towards a breathtaking view. It’s the moment before the curtain rises on a stage where you’re about to shine. It’s that split second before you take a leap, that could redefine your journey.”
He spoke in favour of eradicating the frequently negative connotation attached to fear.
He said, “Why should we give fear a negative meaning? If we remind ourselves that fear is not necessarily a bad thing, and instead treat it like a sign from above, and use it to give that opportunity our best shot, we really could be making the best of it. Can we remind ourselves that fear is a natural part of growth? Can we treat fear like it was a gym for courage? Sure, fear can make our knees wobble and make us jittery, but from my experiences – it’s been like my personal trainer during some of the most important moments of my career and life. Also, here’s the truth – at most times, what we fear isn’t even real. It’s just a collection of doubts. The more you face those fears head-on, the more you’ll realise they take care of themselves. Next time you feel fear, just take a deep breath, stand tall and remind yourself that you’re on the brink of something goooooood. It means you’re pushing boundaries for bigger dreams. Fear is good.”
Suniel Shetty is presently filming for ‘Hera Pheri 3,’ which also stars Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal in the key roles, and was previously seen in the web series ‘Hunter.’