Vidya Balan might come across as a person who remains unfazed in the event of trolls commenting on her personal life. The Dirty Picture actress is bold and opinionated but during a recent interview, she opened up about a body shaming incident that left her distraught. She shared that she even cried.
She further stated that she has developed several coping mechanisms to protect herself from negative comments. It can be a survival guide for those who’ve been in similar situations.
Credit: Instagram/balanvidya
Vidya Balan shares she felt distraught when her masseuse commented on her weight
In a recent conversation with lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho, Vidya Balan shared a moment with her masseuse who commented on her body weight and that really upset her.
“I was getting a body massage done. And this woman tells me, ‘Arey phir se weight put on kar liya kya? Firstly, it’s a very intimate space. I trusted the masseuse to get my body massage done. I’m not here for her to sit and judge my body,” she shared. She also said that the whole point of her getting a massage is to calm her nerves and make her feel better. After this, Balan shared that she told the masseuse, “Mere body ke baare mein comment mat keejiye, mujhe achha nahi lagta.” But this whole incident made her feel “distraught” and she even cried.
Credit: Instagram/balanvidya
Vidya Balan shares how she protects herself from negativity
Talking about her coping mechanisms on social media and real life, Vidya said, “I’ve learned to protect myself over time. For example, I will not read comments on social media. For a while, I had disabled comments. Now, people can comment, but I very rarely go through comments.”
The actress also shared that even though she sometimes reads such comments, she doesn’t want any negative comments to “stick” with her. She said, “I don’t go to astrologers because if that person says one thing that you’re going to go through a tough time or this is not going to work out, you’re going to latch on to that. I feel it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I don’t read the newspapers. That’s how I protect myself.”
Credit: Instagram/balanvidya
Moreover, she says that she can’t change people and how they react but she can change how to respond. This is such an important aspect of personal growth because it ultimately helps us improve the quality of our lives.
When will people understand that commenting on someone’s weight is insensitive and even harmful
Vidya Balan’s revelation proves that no matter how successful you are or what you’ve achieved in life, people think it’s their prerogative to comment on someone’s outer appearance and the bodily changes they’re experiencing, regardless of knowing what they’re experiencing. Commenting on someone’s weight is invasive and can lead to potential harm, including anxiety, body image issues, eating disorder and depression. And assuming that someone’s weight gain is linked to unhealthy practices is quite ignorant. Heard of stress, medical conditions and medications?
Credit: Vishesh Films and Fox Star Studios.
As Vidya Balan put it, she wanted to get a massage to feel better and relaxed. Not everyone she meets has to remind her how her body may have changed. Trust us, she knows already. And is competent enough to take care of it.
Lead image credit: Abundantia Entertainment
