Mumbai, March 24
Embracing age with pride, Bollywood actress Somy Ali who is all set to turn 50 in a few days, says she sees growing older as a mark of strength and experience rather than something to hide.
"I see age as a badge of honour. Turning 50 is a privilege. It means I survived, I learned, I grew. Why would I hide that? Every year represents strength and experience."
She added, "Society tells women to fear aging, but I believe we should celebrate it. A wrinkle is not something to hide, it's a story of a life fully lived," said Somy, ahead of her 50th birthday on March 25.
Looking back at her journey, Somy describes it as raw and transformative. "My journey has been painful, messy, and very real, but it led me exactly where I needed to be. I don't measure my life by fame or films, I measure it by impact."
"Everything I went through shaped me into someone who could understand pain and help others heal from it. Today, when I look back, I see purpose in everything," she added.
Sharing the lessons she has learned over the years, she said, "I have learned that pain is not the end of your story, it can be the beginning of your purpose. I have learned that silence only protects those who harm others."
"I have learned that healing takes time, patience, and courage. And I've learned that when you use your voice for others, it becomes stronger than any fear."
She also reflected on, at 50, what she would tell her younger self. "I would tell her to trust her instincts and never ignore red flags. I would tell her that love should feel safe, not frightening. And I would tell her that walking away from something that hurts you is one of the bravest things you will ever do."
Somy further wrote, "Most importantly, I would tell her that one day, her pain will help save tens of thousands of lives."
She concluded by emphasising what defines her today. "When I see a survivor smile again, when I see someone finally feel safe, that is what defines me. Not my past, not my public image, but the lives we've been able to change. That is who I am."
Somy Ali, on the professional front, began her career in Bollywood in the early 1990s and appeared in films such as Buland, Ant, Kishen Kanhaiya, Krishan Avtaar to name a few.
She went on to share screen space with many leading actors of that time before stepping away from the film industry.
The actress also runs an NGO, No More Tears, that supports survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.
- IANS
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