Isha Koppikar shares SRK’s advice on handling fame: ‘Beach pe jaake panipuri, bhelpuri khaane ka koi shauq nahi hai’

(I don’t have any interest in going to a beach and having panipuri or bhelpuri. I can sit in a 5 star restaurant and order panipuri and eat it there. I love it. I worked hard for it. I want it, and then how can I say, Oh man, wear sunglasses, the press has come. There are so many people, I have to give out autographs. What ‘arey arey’. There will come a time when no one will ask for you. Then do arey arey.

Ashish Pillay, Psychologist at Mpower, Aditya Birla Education Trust told indianexpress.com that healthy ambition makes you come alive and inspires you to grow, without losing your soul in the process. It allows room for gratitude, curiosity, and self-compassion. Toxic ambition, on the other hand, demands constant hustle, breeds insecurity, and measures worth only by productivity or accolades.

According to the expert, hustling hard but not reaping the fruit of your efforts is a recipe for burnout and disaster. You are bound to feel disillusioned and upset after a while. In fact, in our cultural narrative, struggle has often been romanticised. We hear stories of ‘fighting against all odds’ and overcoming obstacles, and somewhere along the way, constant hardship became equated with virtue. It often leads people to believe that unless they are visibly struggling, their hard work does not truly count or deserve success. But from a psychological lens, this conflation is problematic,” he explained.

Isha on SRK’s wisdom to her (Source: Instagram/@isha_konnects)

Arrogance vs confidence

Gurleen Baruah, Organizational Psychologist at That Culture Thing, added that a lot of people tend to associate confidence with arrogance but how others perceive us is something we can’t fully control.

“In popular culture, this mix-up seems common, yet it’s not entirely true. Genuine confidence has a quiet foundation of humility — it’s secure, self-assured, and doesn’t need to overshadow or outshine others. Arrogance, on the other hand, thrives on comparison and often involves trying to prove one’s superiority.”

“People with limited knowledge or experience might overestimate their abilities and come across as overconfident, even when they lack depth. Meanwhile, those who are truly skilled often carry a blend of confidence and humility because they’re aware of what they don’t know. This self-awareness can make genuine confidence harder to recognise at first glance.”

What to do to ensure your are not misperceived?

Baruah said one can:

Practise humility: Acknowledge others’ contributions and strengths.

Listen actively: Show genuine interest in others’ perspectives and avoid dominating conversations.

Balance confidence with empathy: Express self-belief without dismissing others’ viewpoints or experiences.

Seek feedback: Ask trusted people if you come across as approachable and respectful.

These practices can help maintain a confident yet grounded presence, reducing the chances of being misinterpreted as arrogant.