Ad man Prahlad Kakkar gives an insight into Aishwarya Rai’s personality, opens up about Salman Khan feud, criticism: ‘She didn’t speak a word’; expert on how silence is truly golden for public figures

Talking about her feud with Salman Khan, whom she dated before getting married to Abhishek Bachchan, Kakkar expressed, “She didn’t speak a word (on Salman). Because that’s her dignity. And Aishwarya realised very early in life that her silence was her dignity and her strength. And it bothered the media. So, they were constantly trying to demean her, to criticise her, to bring her down, so that she would come down to a level to say…enough…I will give you what you want. She never did.”

Taking a cue from his revelation, let’s understand if silence is truly golden when it comes to one’s dignity.

Describing silence as emotional strength, Delnna Rrajesh, psychotherapist and life coach, said that silence is not absence. It is present with boundaries. “Choosing not to speak when the world is shouting is not weakness. It is an assertion of agency. “I decide the narrative of my life, not you, ” said Delnna.” For women in the public eye, silence often gets misread as submission.”

According to Delnna, such a stand protects one’s sense of self from being consumed by external opinions. “Privacy as a form of self-protection: In today’s hyperconnected world, where lives are dissected in real time, choosing privacy is not just a preference. It is an act of self-preservation,” said Delnna.

Sometimes silence is golden (Photo: Feepik)

*It allows emotional boundaries to stay intact
*It protects relationships from unnecessary noise
*It keeps identity rooted in the self, not in public perception

When you stop explaining, you stop giving people the power to define your worth. “Silence teaches others where their access ends,” said Delnna.

Oversharing personal details or living without clear emotional boundaries comes with real consequences.

*Personal relationships become public property, open for judgment and interference
*Misinterpretation multiplies because not everyone hears with the same intent
*The need to constantly explain, defend or perform creates emotional fatigue
*Even genuine experiences can begin to feel staged or transactional
*Criticism intensifies when there’s more access and less mystery

“This is why some of the strongest public figures are the ones who choose selective visibility. Not everything needs to be a headline,” said Delnna.

What we can learn

*Not every opinion deserves a response
*Not every criticism requires a defence
*Protecting your personal space is not rudeness; it is self-respect
*True dignity is not in proving, but in choosing what to reveal