Mumbai, May 7 (IANS) Actress Aditi Bhatia, who played the role of an inspiring social media influencer in the movie “The Kerala Story 2”, revealed whether playing a character who chases online validation made her reflect differently on her own journey as an influencer.

Affirming the same, Aditi shared that we live in a time where validation has become so tied to identity, especially online.

“Even as someone who has grown up in the public eye and on social media, it made me reflect on how easy it is for young people to seek acceptance externally. The film reminded me how important self-awareness and emotional grounding really are,” she explained.

Revealing what made her connect to her character, Divya Paliwal, Aditi added, “I think I connected deeply with both her innocence and her fire. She’s this young girl who has an unabashed love for dance and carries so much passion and energy within her. There’s ambition, curiosity, emotion; she wants to live fully and express herself freely.”

Aditi added that innocence and spark are what made her vulnerability even more heartbreaking to portray, because she did not realize how gradually manipulation can enter someone’s life and change its direction.

Aditi further shared her reaction to when she was offered the movie. She said that she was extremely excited as she felt the character would challenge her as an actor.

“Since I’ve been on film sets from such a young age as a child actor, stepping onto a film set again didn’t feel unfamiliar to me; it actually felt very emotional in a full-circle kind of way. But this time, I was entering as an adult actor carrying a very different kind of responsibility.”

“When The Kerala Story 2 came my way, I was excited because the role had depth, emotional complexity, and a strong journey to portray. I knew it was the kind of part that would challenge me as an actor and allow me to explore a much more layered performance.”

“The Kerala Story 2” is presently streaming on ZEE5.

–IANS

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