Actor Esha Deol responded to social media critics after a promotional video for Tusshar Kapoor's book, "Bachelor Dad," went viral [2].
The incident highlights the volatile nature of celebrity social media engagement, where promotional efforts for literary works can trigger widespread public scrutiny of a performer's non-professional skills.
The controversy began when Deol shared a clip on Instagram promoting Kapoor's new book [2]. In the video, Deol performed a version of the classic song "Kyaa Dil Ne Kahaa." While the original track and its official Jhankar remix feature the vocals of Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik [1], Deol's own rendition in the social media clip drew negative attention from users.
Net users targeted Deol for her singing ability in the promotional footage [2]. Rather than defending her performance, Deol embraced the criticism with a response regarding her vocal talents.
"Some think I shouldn’t sing, which I totally agree with," Deol said [2].
The promotional push coincided with the release of a Jhankar remix of "Kyaa Dil Ne Kahaa" by Sony Music India [1]. The music video features Kapoor and Deol, though the audio is provided by professional playback singers Narayan and Yagnik [1].
The overlap between the official music release and the informal Instagram clip created a contrast in vocal quality that fueled the trolling. Deol's willingness to agree with her critics suggests a strategy of defusing online hostility through self-deprecation rather than confrontation.
“"Some think I shouldn’t sing, which I totally agree with."”
This situation illustrates the friction between the highly polished output of the Indian film industry—where playback singers are used to maintain a specific sonic standard—and the raw, unedited nature of social media promotion. By acknowledging her lack of professional singing skill, Deol navigated a common pitfall of celebrity 'relatability' on Instagram, where the gap between a star's on-screen image and their real-life abilities often becomes a focal point for digital harassment.
