Mukesh Khanna, a veteran actor widely recognised for his role as Shaktimaan, recently addressed an old incident involving Amitabh Bachchan. Khanna spoke about an alleged comment made by Bachchan during a conversation where the superstar reportedly implied that Khanna was imitating him. While Khanna clarified that he doesn’t hold any grudge and dismissed the notion that Amitabh Bachchan had a hand in ending his career, the remark, he admitted, stayed with him. “I starred in one advertisement. It was an ad where I put on perfume, and girls turned to look at me. A person told me he was present when this ad was being played in a theatre. He was Amitabh’s friend. And Amit ji has a certain style. If I were in his place, I might have said the same thing. He told me that Amit ji saw the ad and said, ‘Saala copy karta hai (He’s copying me).’ You can call me self-respecting or stubborn, but I told that man, ‘Pagal hai tu, woh aisa bolege? (Are you mad? Do you think he’d say this?)’ But that sentence stayed in my mind,” he said during a recent appearance on the YouTube channel Hindi Rush. This sheds light on how comments, even from peers, can leave lasting impressions on individuals, especially in highly competitive industries. Psychological impact can critical or dismissive comments from peers or superiors Gurleen Baruah, organisational psychologist and executive coach at That Culture Thing, tells indianexpress.com, “The psychological impact of critical or dismissive comments from peers or superiors largely depends on an individual’s temperament, personality, and coping style. For some, such comments can feel demotivating or invalidating, leading to a decrease in confidence and a sense of not being valued. This might affect their willingness to take risks, share ideas, or even engage in the workplace, which can hinder career growth.” Some might also experience mixed emotions - feeling discouraged initially but eventually using it as a chance to self-reflect or grow. “However, if the critical or dismissive tone is consistent, it could lead to long-term issues like self-doubt, burnout, or a toxic work environment. In such cases, the person’s support system, coping mechanisms, and ability to reframe the feedback play a significant role in determining the overall impact,” mentions Baruah. Strategies or frameworks individuals can use to differentiate between helpful feedback and baseless criticism Baruah suggests, “When receiving feedback, it’s important to remember that sometimes it’s not about you, but rather the way the feedback is delivered or the lack of clarity behind it. Without specifics—what needs to change, why it’s not working, and how it can be improved - it’s easy to feel lost or even invalidated.” The STAR feedback methodology is one widely used framework for delivering and understanding feedback, which ensures clarity and depth. Baruah explains further: S/T (Situation or Task) A (Action) R (Result) Feedback begins by providing context. For example: “During the busy time of day when sales calls were ongoing, the internet went down suddenly.” Positive Example: “Sachin quickly called support, resolved the issue, and prioritised getting the internet back.”Critical Example: “Sachin didn’t show initiative and continued working on unrelated tasks without addressing the internet issue.” Positive Example: “Because of his quick response, the internet was back within minutes, avoiding major disruptions.”Critical Example: “The delay resulted in 3 hours of downtime, leading to lost sales and productivity.” For critical feedback, it’s helpful to propose AA (Alternative Action) and AR (Alternative Result) to make it constructive: AA (Alternative Action): “Next time, Sachin could prioritise fixing the issue immediately or seek help.” AR (Alternative Result): “This would ensure minimal downtime and prevent losses.” "By using frameworks like STAR or asking for specifics, individuals can differentiate between helpful feedback and vague criticism. Helpful feedback provides actionable steps and a clear understanding of what to improve. Baseless criticism, on the other hand, often lacks context, detail, or constructive suggestions. Recognising this distinction helps you focus on what’s valuable and avoid internalising feedback that lacks substance," Baruah concludes.
