Actor Ruhani Sharma penned a heartfelt note on social media days after her upcoming Hindi film Agra leaked online. The actor writes that she feels judged, given how the internet reacted to her intimate scenes from the film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Directors' Fortnight in 2023.

‘How quick some are to judge’

Intimate scenes from Agra have been doing rounds on X (formerly Twitter), with many judging the actor for agreeing to do such scenes. Many also objectified and trolled her with ill intent. Ruhani now shared a note on Instagram claiming that she had been ‘holding back’ but chose to address it now as it’s been ‘weighing heavy’ on her.

She wrote, “It’s heartbreaking to see our months of hard work, dedication, and passion being disregarded in this way. Creating an art film is an intense journey filled with countless challenges, sleepless nights and unwavering commitment.” Ruhani added, “What’s even disheartening is how quick some are to judge without understanding the blood, sweat, and tears that go into bringing such a project to life.”

She went on to call Agra a ‘labour of love’ writing how the film premiered at Cannes and has been acclaimed internationally. “I stand by my choices, and I’m incredibly proud of this film, and the entire team that made it happen. For those who may not fully grasp or appreciate this style of filmmaking, I ask for your respect. Art isn’t always meant to be easy or comfortable - it’s meant to challenge, to evoke emotion, to make us think.”

She ended the note with asking people to ‘uplift and celebrate cinema’ instead of ‘tearing down’ artists. Numerous fans and celebrities left supportive comments under her post. Actor Lavanya Tripathi wrote, “You go girl." Singer Chinmayi Sripada left heart emojis, while Chi La Sow director Rahul Ravindran wrote, “Never been more proud of you Roo.”

Upcoming work

Agra will be Ruhani’s debut theatrical Hindi film. She previously starred in the 2019 Zee5 web series Poison and the JioCinema web film Blackout in Hindi this year. The actor, who has mostly worked in Telugu will soon star in a Tamil film titled Mask. In Telugu, she was last seen in Saindhav, Operation Valentine and Sriranga Neethulu this year.

Read Also: High Court orders stay on demolition of N-Convention after being approached by Nagarjuna Akkineni