Prominent singer Abhirami Suresh has been subjected to online abuse following her live music performance the previous day. Several videos of her show were flooded with comments containing sexual harassment and body shaming, prompting the singer to address the attacks in a heartfelt post on social media.

“I wrote this with a heavy heart, but I always feel lighter once I let things out. Social media has been a part of my life for so long that sometimes it feels like a diary, and today I am writing in it again,” Abhirami wrote.

She reflected on her long-standing experiences with bullying, saying, “I have been bullied for as long as I can remember, without ever truly knowing what harm I caused to anyone, to society or to the audience. But I let that be. I was blessed to have a few humans I call family and friends, people who held me together when things tried to tear me apart. Not everyone has that blessing, and I know that.”

Abhirami also addressed her followers directly, urging them not to succumb to bullying. “So whoever you are, an artist, a professional, a student, someone still finding your place, a girl, a transgender person, or simply a human being, you do not deserve to be bullied. Ever. If someone is trying to pull you down, remember this. They are not teasing you. They are spending their time and energy trying to dim your light, on screen or off. Do not fall apart for that. Hold yourself gently. Stay standing. Your existence does not need their approval.”

She spoke about the strength she has cultivated over the years. “I have worn strength like armour for years, and it protected me when I needed it. I faked it till I made it, and somewhere along the way, I truly became strong. But strength does not mean silence. Crying, feeling deeply, and letting it out does not make us weak. It makes us human.”

Abhirami extended her message to anyone struggling with abuse or negativity: “To anyone hurting right now, know this: You are not alone. You are seen. You are enough. Sending you light, love, and strength. Brighter days do come.”

Reflecting on the online backlash, she explained, “I slept off reading comments under a hundred different videos and woke up to the same noise again. Different angles, awkward ramp shots, cameras placed below, and honestly I cannot even fully blame anyone. That was the setup. That was the space. Still, it is a strange feeling when you want to explain so much but end up saying nothing.”

Abhirami talked about her performance, describing the live show experience: “The show, by God's grace, was a full house. For 2–2.5 hours, from the first note to the last breath, the ground stayed packed and alive. I am not a legend who can stand still and sing. I am a performer. I move, I dance, I give my body and breath to the moment. And I did exactly that.”

However, she criticised the online audience’s response: “Social media woke up with a very different mood. No mercy on the receiving end, no pause for gender, age or context. And on the other side too, it comes from everywhere. All it takes is one comment to light the match, and suddenly it becomes a spectacle. A competition. Who insults better. Who is more brutal. Who can say it louder and uglier. Body shaming, s**t shaming, everything served casually, like entertainment.”

“What hurts the most is not even the words, but the absence of thought. Not one second to remember that this was live. That the ground was full. That people were enjoying. That someone was dancing and singing for 2–2.5 hours, breathless, imperfect, human. Errors are inevitable in a live moment, but compassion seems optional now,” she added.

Abhirami concluded with a reflection on the culture of online abuse: “Every performer, every musician, every singer, every human deserves the right to exist, express and perform in their own way. Somewhere along the way, social media quietly turned into a garbage pit where winning means being the worst. Who can hurt deeper. Who can choose the nastiest words. Who walks away feeling victorious. I honestly do not know how we got here. Last night it felt heavy. Really heavy. This morning I realised something funny and sad at the same time. A wildfire cannot be put out with a small cup of positivity. So I am standing on one side, tired, breathless, quietly watching it burn and choosing not to fight it. In a world that keeps asking for more kindness, we somehow keep handing out more hate. Maybe that is the joke. Maybe that is the confession. Letting it be.”