Body shaming and celebrities

We get celebrities to give their take on a current issue each week and lend their perspective to a much-discussed topic. This week we talk about:

In a heartfelt column, Sonam Kapoor this week talked about body shaming, especially in the movie business. The actress wrote that she grew up with doubts about how her body looked. Despite being hailed as a fashionista in the industry. Sonam penned that she would constantly worry about the way she looked on screen and would be overtly critical of herself, even going as far as skipping meals in a quest for that perfect body. Sonam's column mirrored the thoughts and worries of many leading female celebrities all over the world, who are now speaking up about body shaming and the mythical representation of women as 'perfect creatures'. Celebrities this week weigh in on how body shaming can take a toll on growing girls, and whether celebrities like Sonam speaking up openly can make a difference.

‘It’s great celebs are talking about it’ We, as an industry, are evolving but it’s still a long way to go. Sonam spoke very articulately on behalf of every woman. Women have always wanted to aim for that illusive perfection in looks. It’s not restricted to the film industry alone; it happens in every walk of life. In our industry, women are looked upon as a product, which have to look good. It’s really great that celebrities are coming forward and sharing their problems. These sort of commendable acts will surely inspire a lot of girls. Lakshmi Manchu, actress

‘Industry will criticise’ I think it’s extremely positive that someone who is as well established as Sonam is coming out and speaking about a subject like this. She is someone who has established herself as the fashionista of the industry, and her coming out and talking about this makes it easier for girls to come on terms with the issue. Body shaming is something even I face. People ask me how it is that I am always this decked up and how I maintain myself. They need to understand that it is my job to be this way, to look a certain way and that it shouldn’t affect anyone else but me. The industry is always going to find something or the other to criticise, because it is an industry where visuals play the most important role. When I had just made my way into the industry, I used to wear glasses, jeans and kurta — I liked to dress simply. And the people closest to me would ask, ‘why don’t you groom yourself ’ It’s not just about expectations; we are conditioned to look a certain way and only if we look that way will we be accepted. Your idea of beauty is being fair, thin and tall and so we only accept that as beauty. I think we can begin with coming to terms with who we truly are. Nushrat Bharucha, actress

‘The practice ought to be discouraged’ As an actor, I personally feel it’s important to take responsibility of your appearance and fitness. But that, however, gives nobody the right to shame another individual on the basis of their built. It’s a brilliant thing that Sonam came out in the open and spoke about it, because though it might be hard to deal with, a star coming and addressing it gives younger girls and women the assurance that they are not alone, and it’s the practice, which ought to be discouraged. In all honesty, I look at the entire issue of body shaming with a sense of humour. I think this concept arises as a form of frustration. People take to such methods to vent out. I think it’s ridiculous and it’s about time we stop giving it any importance as we are beyond it all. Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, actress and Bharatnatyam dancer

‘It drives some people to take their own lives’ We must all remember that we’re not all born the same, and we cannot compare bodies and say only some are ‘perfect,’ and shame others for having it any different. I see that body shaming often comes from people who are usually insecure about their own bodies, so it all points to being comfortable in our own skin. There are situations when models themselves take to shaming other models. And the rate at which body shaming happens can be alarming — so much so that it drives some people to taking their own lives. Someone like Sonam speaking up about it can definitely help others in their battle against body shaming. We don’t realise it, but even men are subjected to body shaming, although the numbers or the extent is incomparable to what women face. Ratikha Venugopal, Model

‘It amounts to bullying’ I recently shared a video on my Facebook page about a yoga expert with a huge belly. She was able to perform the most difficult of asanas, which meant her core was strong, even though she had a potbelly. Her point was, accept your body. It could be a different shape than what the usual norm is, but it could be strong and healthy, and defying conventions. There was a time when heavy, fuller bodies were well accepted. Look at our actresses from the ’60s. Today a certain body type (read: thin and tall) is in. The bald, the fat, and the short, are made fun of. We need to change all of it. Humour can be good, but shaming amounts to bullying. I personally think that when actors speak up against body shaming, it helps. But what would help more is if actors refuse to Photoshop their images. Share pictures without filters, show real pictures and the real you. Vishakha Singh, actress and producer

‘You can’t change much of your body’ Nobody is perfect; we need to begin with accepting that fact. Teenagers, young adults — they need to start accepting their body, appreciating how God made them. If one follows shortcuts to look a certain way, it is going to affect your body badly, just like it affected Sonam’s body badly — she is now stuck with acidity. Television is a visual medium and it needs to look appealing. However, the process to attain that visual needs to be guided by experts. Everybody’s body is different. Understand your body, and the fact that you can’t change much of it. You can lose some weight, get toned, but beyond that, there isn’t much one can do; and that is completely fine. Accepting your flaws is important. Patralekha, actress