‘I feel loneliness’: Actor Shehnaaz Gill opens up about friendship in the industry, trust issues

4 min readNew DelhiJul 16, 2026 10:09 AM IST

In a recent interview, Shehnaaz Gill got candid about loneliness and trust issues when it comes to friendships (Photo: @shehnaazgill/Instagram)

From Punjabi music videos to sharing screen space with Salman Khan, Shehnaaz Gill has come a long way in the industry. The Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan actor, who rose to fame with her stint in the popular reality show Bigg Boss, recently opened up about loneliness and friendships in the entertainment industry.

Shehnaaz also spoke about dealing with rejection and how it helped her to brush up on her skills as an artist. In an interview with Pinkvilla, she reflected on experiencing loneliness, describing it as an inevitable part of life that can teach several lessons. She added that spending time alone has helped her introspect and improve herself.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.

“I feel loneliness every day. If four people are not with you, then you feel lonely. So that’s why people are travelling. People come and go, but you have to stay alone. So you have to relax your mind a little. And one should feel lonely sometimes. There are many things that one gets to learn. It helps in correcting yourself. I like my overthinking sometimes. When I take stress, things get better,” she said.

‘I don’t have friends’

When asked about friendships, Shehnaaz admitted that she has trust issues and does not believe she has close friends in the film industry. She said repeated experiences of broken trust have made it difficult for her to form meaningful relationships.

“Koi nahi hai (There is nobody). I don’t have friends. Friends come and go, so I don’t even know who my friend is! And there are no true friends in this industry. But it’s fine. I have trust issues. I am not able to trust people much. When your trust is broken so many times in life, you cannot trust easily and lose interest in people,” she said.

Watch here:

‘Solitude is a choice’

Dr Rimpa Sarkar, PhD, of Sentier Wellness in Mumbai, explained the key difference between healthy solitude for self-growth and chronic loneliness, which can affect mental health. “Solitude is a choice. Loneliness is a feeling. A person can spend time alone and feel peaceful, fulfilled, and connected to themselves, while another person can be surrounded by people and still feel profoundly lonely,” she said.

Story continues below this ad

She further warned that chronic loneliness can increase the risk of anxiety, sleep issues, depression, and even lower self-esteem. However, healthy solitude, she explained, creates space for self-reflection, emotional regulation, and creativity.

How can repeated betrayals affect future relationships

Dr Rimpa also chimed in on how repeated breaches of trust can affect a person’s ability to form new relationships. On Shehnaaz’s remarks on trust issues, the expert shared that repeated betrayals can significantly affect a person’s ability to trust because the brain begins to associate closeness with the possibility of hurt.

“As a protective response, individuals may become emotionally guarded, avoid intimacy, or assume that future relationships will end similarly. These reactions are understandable because they are often attempts to prevent further emotional pain,” she said.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.