"Let her live. Why do you care?"
Pakistani actor-singer Ali Zafar has spoken out strongly against the online body-shaming directed at Katrina Kaif following her post-pregnancy appearance.
The two had previously worked together in the 2011 romantic comedy Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.
Ali reacted to misogynistic remarks made by an internet user about Katrina’s changed appearance since welcoming her first child.
In a viral video addressing the scrutiny she had faced online, Ali called on men in particular to reflect deeply on their own attitudes toward women.
He said: “A man was talking about my colleague—with whom I previously worked in Bollywood — expressing immense discomfort over how she used to look versus how she looks now.
“Especially speaking as a man, I believe we need to look inward and make some essential corrections within ourselves.
“What is important to recognise is that when it comes to the perception of a woman — her body, her way of thinking and living — if it does not fit the standards we have created, then…”
He continued by making his position entirely clear on what such commentary reveals about those who engage in it, saying:
“This is wrong; this way of looking at things is not right.
“Every person is going through their own struggle, their own search. We have no idea what someone is enduring in their life.
“We should be nice to people, compassionate, understanding, accepting, appreciative, and positive.
“But we should not be doing this. Every woman has a life of her own.”
“Whatever search or struggle she is going through, whatever her past was, whatever her present and future are — that is her life.
“Let her live. Why do you care? It is her life.”
His remarks struck a chord with many who have been following the wave of negative commentary surrounding Katrina’s recent appearance.
Ali Zafar was not alone in coming to Katrina’s defence, with actress Shivaleeka Oberoi also using her platform to push back against it.
Shivaleeka, known for her role in Khuda Haafiz, shared a post featuring Katrina and questioned the nature of the comments.
She wrote simply: “What does ‘What happened to her’ mean?! This is Motherhood!”
The wave of online criticism directed at Katrina came following her appearance at filmmaker Kuku Kohli’s prayer meet.
She attended the event alongside her husband, Vicky Kaushal, in what was one of her rare public appearances over recent months.
The scrutiny of her appearance at the event quickly spread across social media.
Katrina Kaif has been largely out of the public eye in recent months as she focuses on life as a new mother.
Beyond motherhood, she has also been channelling her energy into expanding her successful makeup brand Kay Beauty.
She was last seen on the big screen in Merry Christmas, a film directed by Sriram Raghavan that was released in 2024 alongside Vijay Sethupathi.
