Indian fans are one weird lot; they never fail to troll celebrities even though they follow them blindly. The Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hain actress Shubhangi Atre’s picture in a black and pink monokini went viral last week because the actress who portrays the role of ‘Angoori Bhabhi’ ditched her sarees for swimwear. She was holidaying on a beach in Krabi, Thailand, and for obvious reasons was dressed in beachwear but the Indian fans could not accept it and she was heavily trolled and received backlash on social media. Her Instagram picture was flooded with comments from good to gruesomely ugly. However, the actress is unfazed by all the negative comments coming her way.

In a statement to a leading daily, she said, “What do people expect me to wear on a beach? I obviously can’t be wearing a sari or salwar-kameez.  I feel fit and I can pull off a swimsuit. I don’t regret posting the picture; in fact, it wasn’t a planned move. My husband clicked the photograph, and I liked it and posted it. Even on screen, I don’t mind wearing a bikini if a character demands it. If one has a good body, why should there be any qualms about flaunting it?”

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Although, Shubhangi was unfazed by the trolls she said, “Of course, it feels bad. I don’t think I looked cheap or vulgar. People expect me to be in the Angoori bhabhi costume all the time; often, they are shocked to see me in western outfits. They need to understand that I am different from the character I play on screen. This is one of the reasons why women are scared of wearing what they want to. I don’t think women should be judged on the basis of their outfits, we need to change our mentality. Sharam and culture aankhon mein hote hain.”

Shubhangi took to playing the lovable and affable Angoori Bhabhi in the hit sitcom after Shilpa Shinde’s unceremonious exit following a fight with the producers of the show. Shubhangi was roped in to play the lead character and she has managed to keep the audience’s interest intact in the show even after the actor change.