MUMBAI:Actress Somy Ali says that the harsh words of her ex-boyfriend, calling worthless without him, have stayed with her, despite many years passing by. She says that every accolade of hers brings her closer to proving him wrong.

“In 2013, when I was picked as the L'Oréal Woman of Worth for my work with NMT made me so happy. While these are all accolades, yet they help me eradicate what I have been told repeatedly that I will never be anything without a certain ex-boyfriend by my side. It erases the fact that I am worthless and just because I was told I was repeatedly didn’t make it true. This is what makes me the happiest because only I know how hard I have worked to prove many people wrong,” she says.

Talking about what makes her happy, she says, “My favorite thing to do, if I am not working, is to watch biographies. I love to learn and the curious child in me is very much alive. I enjoy swimming and recently I have decided to get back to playing badminton as I used to enjoy it a great deal as a kid. Remember no matter how much we fight it there is always a little child that is quite alive in all of us. And that’s a good thing as it makes us break away from the day-to-day mundane tasks and for me gives a break from seeing trauma nonstop.”

She adds, “My happiest day was when I received an award from President Barack Obama and President George H. Walker Bush. You see when you are told from, as far back as you can recall, that you are worthless, you use that as fuel to prove those losers differently and for me that was important.”

Talking about what gives her instant happiness, she says, “I love spending time with my mom and watching old Mumtazji and kakaji movies. I always thought they made the best pair and then Amitji and Rekhaji. I love coffee in the morning and like to read the newspapers which consist of news from India, Pakistan and the U.S. All said and done, a little part of me belongs to all these countries. I love watching biographies on people who were told they would never succeed and they proved the world wrong. That is where I gain my strength from. Never give up. And stay away from people who make you feel small or bad about yourself. Remember just because someone says something to bring you down it does not mean it is true. Above all, speak from your heart. Don’t walk around sugar coating or with a filter. There’s no better freedom than being your real self.”