Why Women Artists Are Easier Targets for Trolls at Online Gigs

The cast and crew of the breakout series discuss philosophy, power play and why love is all we need

- LALITHA SUHASINI

Recently, singer and songwriter Moni-ca Dogra posted a distress call on her Instagram account that summed up the dystopian state of the Indian indie music scene, which, like everything else, is under lockdown. Dogra wrote: “I feel insecure about my career (triggered by social media trolls)…also triggered by the amount of people reaching out to me to be in their videos, contribute creatively to their pages and then when I do, I get trolled to the point of it being so exhausting on my spirit and so taxing on my self-worth…”

Dogra’s view is not singular, but is shared by other women artists and peers from the industry. Mumbai-based singer/songwriter Aditi Ramesh, who released her EP Leftovers last year, faced her share of trolls during an Insta live gig that she did recently. “Trolling does not happen in a space that has a smaller audience, but I did experience some trolling during the Insta live I did for Vh1 because their subscriber base is huge,” says Ramesh. From unpleasant emojis to comments, her Insta live show for the music channel was challenging in parts. But like her contemporaries, Ramesh too has come to terms with trolling, but admits that it can be unsettling. “Mostly, I don’t really take it seriously. But sometimes, these comments are in the middle of a song and it throws you off. I find it more awkward to perform to a screen,” she adds.