Body positivity is easier preached than practiced, especially in a world obsessed with documenting everything on social media, and scrutinising every aspect of someone’s looks in videos and photos. So, life isn’t easy for those in visual mediums, where their profession is directly linked to their looks. For women, in particular, it’s hard to be unapologetic and happy about their bodies, ignoring people’s comments.
But, there are some champions fighting for inclusivity. These desi women in entertainment are owning their curves, their “flaws” and empowering others to do the same.
Rytasha Rathore
Unafraid of posting photos with stretch marks, belly rolls, or visible bra-straps, Rytasha is the biggest body-positivity icon in India’s TV world. Not only does she disregard fat-shaming by routinely posting swimsuit photos and giving other curvy girls the confidence to do the same, but she’s also vocal about the hardships that come with it.
“For the longest time, I thought I was unattractive because I was overweight, but fuck that, I’ve finally fallen in love with myself and I’m not going to let the world’s idea of what’s ‘beautiful’ to let me think otherwise. A journalist actually once said, ‘I only got the role of Badho because of my size’ and I was like, ‘I spent years in drama school, but that don’t count for shit, eh?’”
She also talked about owning you self image, because there’s no end to inadequacies if one chooses to focus on that: “You will always be ‘too fat’ or ‘too thin’ or ‘too loud’ or ‘too opinionated’ for the world, but you know what — we’re better off being ‘too much’ than being nothing at all. It’s high time the world starts accepting each other’s flaws…and that will only happen if you wear them proudly like armour. Own it — own it all!”
Ileana D’Cruz
Ileana D’Cruz opened up about her mental health issues which affected her self-image, and how she developed unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with it: “I was always a very self-conscious person and was picked on for my body type. I used to feel low and sad all the time but didn’t know I was suffering from depression and Body Dysmorphic Disorder till I got help.”
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan is among the most commercially successful and critically-acclaimed actresses, but even she struggled with her appearance and weight. Much of this was because of public scrutiny and derision in the media about her physicality.
“There was a time I used to take these negative criticisms very seriously. I was killing myself over losing weight. I would work out like crazy, starve myself and go on all kinds of weird diets. Yes, I would lose some weight but all that starving would leave me feeling very unhappy and drained. Worse, eventually I would regain that weight and that would make me more miserable. It had become a vicious cycle. Slowly, I realised that there is a body structure that I can’t fight, and I better embrace it. I began to feel comfortable in my weight. Today I do not consider it a ‘weight problem’. I think fitness is more important. Who decides what is desirable? We have begun to pigeonhole beauty, sexuality and desirability.”
She later also talked about how doing The Dirty Picture changed her perception about herself and helped her get more comfortable in her skin, thereby helping her feel more desirable: “I ended up unshackling myself, I ended up freeing myself after The Dirty Picture. I was conscious about my body. I felt liberated with any sort of body image limitation. In my mind, it was about what I could do with the body and not how I look. I was at my biggest best, I had put on weight. People told me I hadn’t looked sexier.”
Bhumi Pednekar
Even people who don’t know much about Bollywood know about Bhumi Pednekar’s portrayal of an overweight small-town girl who struggles to adjust to married life due to her weight. People also know that Bhumi’s subsequent weight loss was really dramatic, and admire her for it.
But, she has been vocal about how being a big girl feels, and how it feels when you lose weight and are suddenly treated better: “There were days I felt low when I was teased for my weight. Even as siblings when we would fight, there were times my younger sister would pick on my weight… The only thing that kept me sane and going was that every time I went back home, I was always told that you are very beautiful. It helped me grow into a mature and confident person. Because I went through teasing and peer pressure in school, I can empathise with the pressures that girls with a large frame may go through.”
Huma Qureshi
Huma Qureshi made waves with her path-breaking Femina cover on body-positivity for curvy women. Not only has she publicly talked about her own size and weight makes HER feel, but also how people look up to celebrities like her and emulate their looks. “I would like to say this for the record that I am not trying to lose weight or gain weight. I am just trying to be the best version of myself and that’s really important.”
“Girls are not commodities … It is not about being skinny, tan, fair, or curvy. It is important to be unique individuals and to be ourselves. Let women choose who they want to be. It is really sad when body shaming leads to people putting themselves in danger because of airbrushed notions.”
Zareen Khan
Often called the “fat Katrina Kaif” and dismissed due to her size, Zareen has always battled belittling chatter because of her body. Someone who lost a lot of weight and was STILL considered heavier than average, she has now stopped being ashamed of her body. “Because it’s my life and my body and only I have the right to decide what I’m gonna do with it. Along with the weight loss came a lot of stretch marks but instead of feeling ashamed of it and trying to hide it, I believe in flaunting it. It makes me feel like a tigress with her stripes.”
