"Therefore, you have to shed weight"
Vidya Balan has opened up about the body-shaming she faced in Bollywood, recalling the pressure to lose weight for her 2009 film Kismat Konnection.
The actress revealed: “There was this chatter that you have to look young if you want to work with some of the actors.
“I remember before I did Kismat Konnection, someone called me and said Shahid is two years younger than you.
“And you are being cast opposite him.
“Therefore, you have to shed weight and make sure you look even younger than him.
“Till 2019, every film came with a side note of, ‘Can you shed some weight?’”
The constant criticism affected both her mental and physical health, as Vidya explained:
“There was a phase where I was training like crazy, barely eating. I had chronic body pain and swelling but I kept going.”
She revealed that even her trainer was unable to explain the symptoms, which were later linked to a hormonal issue.
In response to persistent body-shaming, the actor eventually took a firm stand.
She told filmmakers: “If you want someone else’s body type, cast them. If you want me, take me as I am.”
The Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 star has long been a vocal advocate for body positivity, often rejecting unsolicited advice.
She previously told The Hollywood Reporter: “I think I’m shamelessly optimistic.
“I’ve so much self-belief. I’ve put myself out there at my biggest and not batted an eyelid.
“I’ve had people tell me I should work on myself, that I should shed weight.
“But I actually believe there’s nothing wrong” with me.
“I think that is a great attitude because it helped me sail through. I was still playing the lead, so I don’t think those kinds of insecurities have ever weighed me down.”
On her tough relationship with weight loss, Vidya Balan said:
“You know, all my life, I have struggled to be thin.
“I have dieted and exercised like crazy, and sometimes, I would lose weight, and it would come back… and then, early this year, I met a nutritional group called Amura (Amura Health) in Chennai.
“They said, ‘It is just inflammation; it is not fat’.”
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