India, March 1 -- Close to two decades into her film career, actor Aditi Rao Hydari has called out what she describes as a growing culture of "paid negativity" and agenda-driven narratives amplified by social media. While smear campaigns are not new, she believes the speed at which misinformation spreads today has made the ecosystem more toxic than ever.

"Celebrity smear campaigns aren't new," says the actor, adding, "But I see it around me all the time. Occasionally, I come across random rubbish about myself. I ignore it because I know there's some agenda behind it."

Having debuted in 2006 with Prajapathi (Malayalam) and worked across industries since, Aditi feels the digital boom has reshaped public perception of actors. "There's so m...