Shirley Setia: My parents were never okay with me living all by myself

For singer-turned-actor Shirley Setia, coming to Mumbai to explore a career in showbiz was difficult, not only because she had to leave a well placed life in New Zealand, but also because her decision didn’t get a stamp of approval from her parents.

“My parents were never okay with me living here by myself. But [that changed] when they saw that so many people love me, especially after my mom attended one concert of mine, long back in Mumbai, and saw so many people loving me in person,” she tells us, adding that while they didn’t stop her from coming and trying her luck, they always had apprehension about her living all by herself.

Though Setia’s parents were always aware about her popularity in the virtual world, and the trolling that comes with it, but it was the real life experience that actually calmed them down.

“When mom dad saw that in real life it was a completely different scenario, that’s what motivated them… ke theek hai, try karne dete hain kuch time tak, agar hua toh theek hai, nahi toh wapas bula lenge,” she quips.

However, that moment where they had to call her back home never came. Setia gained popularity with her cover versions of songs such as Na tum jaano na hum (Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, 2000), Tum Hi Ho (Aashiqui 2, 2013), Sanam Re (Sanam Re) and Bol Do Na Zara (Azhar, both 2016). And at the moment, she’s all charged up about making her Bollywood debut with Nikamma, co-starring Shilpa Shetty Kundra.

“Considering that I’m not even from Mumbai, and nobody knows me from the industry, they’ve accepted me with open arms,” says the 25-year-old, who’ll also be seen in a Telugu film opposite Naga Shaurya.

As far as trolling is concerned, Setia prefers to detach herself from toxicity on social media, and focus on the good things in life.

“No matter what you post, people will say something or the other. Not everyone is going to like everything you put out there. But, you’re doing it for yourself, and for all the people who supported you. Agar mere fans nahi hote toh main apne dreams achieve kar pati,” she says, calling them the “most important” part of her life.