Somy Ali reflects on how her acting career and background in psychology shaped the emotional intelligence she now uses in her NGO work with survivors of abuse.
Former Bollywood actress and No More Tears founder Somy Ali says the years she spent acting did more than shape her career, they shaped her understanding of human behavior. Today, as she rescues victims of domestic violence and human trafficking through her Florida-based NGO, she realises that her time in front of the camera became the foundation for the emotional intelligence she relies on every day.
Acting As Her First Classroom
Somy explains that portraying layered characters made her examine people with nuance and precision. “Acting requires you to examine people the way a surgeon examines the body, carefully, attentively, and with empathy,” she explains, adding, “Stepping into the lives of characters who are wounded, hilarious, lost, or courageous teaches you to notice the tiniest cues: a faint shake in someone’s fingers, a grin masking grief, or a sharp voice that’s really just fear trying to protect itself.”
How Acting Helped Her NGO Work
She believes this heightened awareness became invaluable in her humanitarian work. “Acting opened my eyes to the idea that every gesture or reaction has its own backstory. At No More Tears, reading someone’s emotional temperature can literally save a life,” she shares.
Her academic background strengthened this further. She says, “My training in psychology has helped immensely, but nothing beats real-life experience.”
Empathy With Discernment
Somy says acting softened her judgments, while her personal experiences brought realism. “Exploring diverse roles revealed the hidden forces that shape someone’s decisions. But surviving domestic violence and working with thousands of victims made me realistic about human intentions,” she explains, adding, “So today, I lead with empathy, but I don’t abandon discernment. My heart stays open, but my eyes stay awake.”
The Loneliness People Hide
Her work and life have made her extremely sensitive to loneliness. “It’s the most universal emotion and the easiest to hide,” she says, adding, “I’ve seen it in superstars, survivors, doctors, professors, and in homeless shelters. Acting taught me to recognise loneliness even behind wealth, education, fame, or laughter.”
Listening: Her Most Important Skill
Somy says listening, not acting is what transformed her life the most. “Most people listen to respond. Good actors learn to listen to feel,” she explains.
This ability became essential in her NGO. She says, “When a victim sits across from me, I don’t listen with my ears; I listen with my entire being. That comes from psychology, acting, and being a survivor myself.”
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