Every Dussehra, we hear the story of good winning over evil. But the real battles are often quieter and closer to home. They are fought in moments of self-doubt, in the strength to say no, in the courage to speak up, and in the decision to keep going when giving up feels easier. This Dussehra, Shreya Veronica and Tejal Sinha interacts with celebs to ask a simple but deeply personal question: when did you feel that good had truly triumphed over evil in your own life? What they share are honest, heartfelt stories of challenges faced, stands taken, and lessons that stayed.
Never giving up is the geatest victory
On this Dussehra, the idea of good triumphing over evil resonates deeply with me. Sometimes the biggest battles are not against people, but against circumstances, rejection, self-doubt, and the temptation to give up. One of my biggest challenges has been balancing my family, my son Lekhan, my finances, and my work. No matter how demanding things get, I always make time for my son, because success means little if we cannot be present for the people who matter most. Professionally, my challenge was finding my place in the competitive world of cinema. I waited 18 long years for one meaningful opportunity. Every day, I prayed to Lord Shiva for just one chance to prove myself, not money or fame. That chance finally came when Megastar Chiranjeevi garu offered me a song to choreograph for Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu. His faith in me is something I will cherish forever. Since then, my choreography for Gira Gira earned me the Telangana State Gaddar Film Award for Best Choreographer. Creating HookStep with Chiranjeevi garu was another milestone, Yeshanagula from The Paradise continues to trend at No. 1, and my recent work on Emo Emo Idi, directed by Sailesh Kolanu, marks another exciting chapter.I have learned that we don’t always need to defeat someone to win. Sometimes, simply refusing to give up on our dreams is the greatest victory. For me, the true victory of good over evil is not letting difficulties defeat our dreams, and moving forward with faith, integrity, and determination.
— Aata Sandeep, choreographer
Good will always win
Inequality has always bothered me and made me uncomfortable, in many places and at many points in my life. I realised that women have to fight a lot of battles, battles they don’t choose for themselves, and those battles are both evident and invisible. The evident ones are easier, because you’ve seen them. You’ve seen other women and other people fight them, so you know how to deal with them. The invisible ones are the ones nobody talks about. They’re the unspoken ones. Looking back, I’ve definitely had kind people around me. Maybe it’s the blessing of having good parents who supported me through everything and made me feel capable of making my life the way I want. I’m thankful for all those people, and also for myself, for never settling and never compromising in a room, even when I might have had to. Going ahead, I’m sure that if I need to take a stand, voice my concerns, or speak up, I’ll have this strength and this awareness: the awareness that good will always win over evil. That awareness might push me to make good decisions and speak up for myself.
— Sahithi Chaganti, singer
Fight to stay good
I’ve realised that the battle between good and evil often happens within us. As an actor trying to find my place in cinema, I’ve faced moments of self-doubt, disappointment and the temptation to take shortcuts. The good in me says to stay honest to my craft and keep going. The other voice questions whether integrity and patience are enough in a world where success is unpredictable. I’ve learnt that being good doesn’t mean never feeling anger or envy; it means not letting those feelings define you. We may not always control our circumstances, but we can choose who we become. Perhaps the real victory is not defeating evil in others, but refusing to let it grow within ourselves.
— Rag Mayur, actor