The life of a star kid may appear to be terribly exciting and fun from a distance.
After all, who doesn’t enjoy the limelight and being papped at airports? But fame and trolls go hand in hand! Every celebrity has their own share of haters as well as fans.
Sunny Deol’s son Karan Deol, who is all set to make his big Bollywood debut with Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas recently opened up about the hardships of growing up as a star kid.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1eODVqhfqK/
“The first memory I have of school was when, in first grade, we had a sports competition and I was taking part in a race. I was standing there, when suddenly a few older boys surrounded me. One of them lifted me and, in front of everyone, smacked me down. He then asked me, ‘Are you sure you’re Sunny Deol’s son? You can’t even fight back’. I was so embarrassed,” Karan told TOI.
“It didn’t get any easier from there. Most kids would either judge me or make fun of me. Even the teachers were the same. Once when I didn’t do well in an assignment, a teacher came up to me and said in the middle of the class, ‘you’re only capable to write your dad’s cheques, and nothing else’. I was heartbroken,” he shared.
Karan also said that his mother has always . “My mom was my only support through all of this, she’d keep telling me, ‘they’re saying these things because that’s how they are as people, it says nothing about you’. That kept me going. It was tough but I had to stand up for myself and answer back instead of giving up and backing down. I had to understand that no one else but I had the right to decide my worth,” he said.
Karan also shared that he always wished to create his own identity in the outside
“I think my turning point was when my school was hosting a talent competition, and I decided to take part. I realized that this was a chance to prove myself. I spent night after night preparing a rap — because that’s the only thing I knew I was good at. On the day, I remember walking up on that stage, and there was a sea of people, with all eyes on me. But I took a deep breath and performed my heart out,” he said.
“All the years of being bullied, ridiculed, and of being identified as nothing but ‘Sunny Deol’s son’, came out when I was up on that stage. The audience thoroughly enjoyed — and roared along, too. I felt liberated as if I had finally broken free from the shackles. It took time, but that moment changed my life,” he added.
Karan concluded with some wise thoughts and said, “It doesn’t take people and situations to make your life better. It takes a strong belief in yourself, the power to see yourself for who you are, and not the way others want you to be”.
“You’re not made to fit into molds, you’re made to create your own identity — one that’s unlike anybody else’s,” he added.
Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas which is both directed and produced by Sunny Deol is set to hit the theaters on September 20. Karan will be seen alongside debutante Sahher Bammba in the romantic drama.