Renowned Kannada actor Sunil Shetty has penned down a heartfelt commentary on his relationship with fear and how he manages it. In a post shared on a linked in article, Sunil reflected on instances in his life where fear has influenced him and how he has navigated it throughout his journey from his early days in the film industry to working alongside superstar Rajnikanth.
Sunil’s daughter Athiya Shetty, who is now the wife of cricketer KL Rahul, introduced him to her then-boyfriend, KL Rahul, which made Sunil quite nervous, as he recalls. He stated, “I was quite worried when Athiya met her then-boyfriend KL Rahul to us for the first time at our home.
Sunil Shetty shares his experiences with fear, saying, “I’ve come to understand that fear is not necessarily a bad thing. We’ve all faced it at some point or another—in our professions and personal journeys. But here’s the thing—what if we reframed our perspective on fear? What if we looked at fear as a sign that something big might be on the horizon? When we face new beginnings, be it stepping on a film set for the first time or venturing into a new challenge, we naturally experience fear or anxiety. It’s like taking the first step onto a mountain trail. Fear rises like your heartbeat. Before we take on something bigger, it could be a precursor to our breakthrough.”
He then discusses changing the negative connotation associated with fear. He explains, “Why should we attribute a negative connotation to fear? Isn’t fear a natural part of growth? Shouldn’t we, instead of trying to suppress it, recognize it for what it is? And if we do that and treat fear as a signal from our own being, and if we use that signal to amplify our best shot at the moment, we do end up doing our best work.”
Sunil Shetty reflects on the fact that we don’t actually experience fear most of the time. The majority of the time, what we perceive as fear is actually not fear.
It’s just an accumulation of assumptions. When you overcome these fears, you become more aware of how they perceive you. The next time you experience fear, take a deep breath, stand tall, and remind yourself that you’re standing at the edge of something ominous. It means you’re knocking down doors for big dreams. Fear is good,” he concludes.
