Actor Kesav Binoy Kiron, who made a striking debut as the lead in Girls Will Be Girls, a critically acclaimed film produced by Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, recently joined The Free Press Journal’s chat show The Next Big Thing, where he opened up about navigating social media criticism, the realities of auditioning, and dealing with rejections in the showbiz.Speaking about the trolling he received after the release of Girls Will Be Girls, Kesav shared, “I have got a few hate comments. Maybe for the film or my character. But even one or two for me as an actor.” He admitted that although the number was small, the impact of reading something negative did initially shake him. “I remember the first time I read something negative about me, I allowed myself two minutes. I actually got goosebumps reading that. I was like, oh God, this is terrible.”However, Kesav emphasized the importance of perspective. “I’ve seen so many of my idols, and the characters I adore, being criticized. So I feel that opinion is going to come from everywhere, all types of it. And if I pay too much attention to the negative, then the fifty people who have said I’ve done a good job, I’m invalidating them. And that feels very wrong.”The actor further elaborated on the kind of trolling that affects him more deeply, the personal attacks. “Criticism for your craft is something you can still read and take with a pinch of salt. But if somebody’s talking about your color, your appearance, or anything like that, it’s just uncalled for and not nice,” he said. “Sometimes you have this urge to reply, to ask 'why are we still doing this?' But there are so many people… you cannot tune everybody into this thing. So, ignorance is bliss.”When asked about the auditioning process, Kesav reflected on the time between Girls Will Be Girls' shoot and its release, and how it shaped his resilience. “Those two years really prepared me. So many auditions, so many rounds of Aram Nagar. I had done the film, but nobody knew. There was no response from casting teams because I was just another person whose work wasn’t out yet. After an audition, I just think I’m not going to get it and move on. Earlier, I used to archive the chats right after sending them, so I wouldn’t be reminded again and again.”For Kesav, the silence can be more painful than a rejection. “Honestly, nothing has actually hurt me. The only thing that hurts me is no response. Anything else, I can take. But when there’s no response at all, it’s like - oh, okay. Because otherwise, you keep hoping something will come up.