“Not Everyone's Your Best Friend”: Genelia Deshmukh On Trust, Setting Boundaries

In a recent episode of The Rulebreaker Show, actress Genelia Deshmukh joined Shaili Chopra, founder of SheThePeople and Gytree, to share her thoughts on what friendship really means. Known for her warmth and cheerful presence, Genelia said being friendly doesn’t mean letting everyone into your inner circle. For her, clarity about who qualifies as a “best friend” is just as important as being approachable.

For many people, just spending time together or sharing a laugh is enough to assume you’re close. But Genelia’s experience shows that friendship runs deeper than that. She makes a clear distinction between acquaintances and best friends, that perspective shapes how she connects with people. She says only a handful of people really know her beyond the surface.

For years, many have assumed that being friendly automatically means being close. Genelia’s take flips that idea: the two can be very different. Sometimes protecting your emotional space matters just as much as being open to others.

Those experiences of setting boundaries didn’t hold her back, instead, they gave her clarity. They helped her preserve her confidence and maintain trust in her relationships. In her conversation with Shaili, Genelia shared that this awareness continues to guide her even today.

When Good Company Doesn’t Make You Best Friends

Genelia said, “There are like a handful that I'll probably talk to in terms of when I'm upset or when I am angry because I don't think everyone can solve your problems." The actress also spoke about setting boundaries.

"I don't think everyone is your best friend either. I think I'm a friendly person and I think I can have conversation with everyone... But I don't mix the fact that, you know, we are acquaintances. We've had a great time today. We don't necessarily need to be best friends.”

When she says this, you really notice the firmness behind her warmth. It’s a simple reminder that real friendship is about trust, not just the good times you share.

Letting Someone In Means Sharing Your Real Self

For Genelia, a best friend is not someone you meet often, but someone you allow into your inner world. “I won’t term someone as a best friend unless a part of me that I have spoken about, and, you know, let you come into my life. So I’m very clear on these points,” she said.

It’s this clarity that makes her relationships meaningful. Many of us mistake casual warmth for closeness, but Genelia shows that true friendship is about opening up your real self, not just the version you share with everyone else.

Lessons From Sports That Shape Her Outlook

Genelia connects this mindset to her early years in sports. “I think clarity came from point of being a sports girl. Like I think the ability to lose, the ability to fight harder, the ability to be a loser on one day and be a winner on the other day just because you tried is something that I apply in my regular life as well.”

Sports, she says, taught her resilience and balance, the understanding that wins and losses are part of life. It probably may have also helped her figure out who really sticks by you through the highs and lows. Not everyone you meet ends up in your inner circle, and that’s completely okay.

Full video here:

Why Boundaries Matter

Genelia’s experience is a reminder that being friendly and approachable doesn’t mean you have to be available to everyone all the time. She keeps her circle small, but genuine, and that’s how she protects both her trust and her emotional well-being.

For her, friendship isn’t about collecting names or ticking people off a list. It’s about picking a few people who really get to see you at your most vulnerable. And that’s the point she drives home: you can be everyone’s friend, but only a handful truly deserve to be called your best friends.

Views expressed by the author are their own.