Actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt on Friday said she has made her Instagram account private after receiving death and rape threats on social media. In a post on the social media platform, Pooja said that she has been advised to make her account private after the barrage of hate her family has been receiving in the wake of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. She added that the platform, owned by Facebook, has become a place for people to hurl abuses and threats of rape and death to others.

“This has to be said. Instagram seems to have become a place where people anonymously & otherwise use their access to hurl abuse, threaten rape and goad you to ‘go die’,” she said. Pooja said she used to ignore such threats in the past.

“But is someone wishing you and your family death, constructive criticism or just an attempt at vile cyber bullying? I have been advised to turn off all comments but by doing that you block out all the positive, well meaning constructive feedback as well,” Pooja said in her post on Instagram. Pooja’s family has faced trolling on social media since Rajput’s death in June this year. Her father Mahesh Bhatt, who produced Rhea Chakraborty’s film “Jalebi” , is also being trolled. Rajput’s father has accused Rhea of abetting his suicide.

The 48-year-old actor said if anyone wants to converse with her they can but without using abusive language. “Why should I push back the people who give me good vibes for the ones that only spew venom towards people in general? But what I have done now is make my account private. You want access to my world? Make a request. You want to converse with me, cut off the abuse,” she said. “As for wishing me death, the same god and universe that watches over you, watches me as well. I will pass when life decides for me. And as long as life keeps me breathing I will live to the optimum and revel in the now,” Pooja added.

The actor will next be seen in “Sadak 2”, her father’s follow-up to his 1991 movie. The film, which also stars Alia Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Roy Kapur, is set to release on August 28 on Disney Plus Hotstar.