Celebs slam body-shamers
Many actors have come out in support of actress Aneri Vajani, who recently faced thin-shaming on the internet.
Got a bit of cellulite? Got no cellulite? Got muscles? Got no muscles? Got a lot of melanin? Got very less melanin? Trolls are out to get you. No matter what body type or shape you have, the internet is a dark place where someone is sure to find a fault in your body. Many people face such trolling, and if a person happens to be a public figure, the hatred simply multiplies.
Numerous actors have been body-shamed over the years. While a general understanding of body shaming makes one think of fat-shaming, thin-shaming has equally hurt people. The latest target of thin-shaming is Beyhadh actress Aneri Vajani, who got trolled for her Instagram photo where she was wearing a bikini. She slammed the trolls, and many actors are coming out in support of her, raising their voice against these trolls.
Model and actress Vahbiz Dorabjee has also been subjected to body shaming because of her thin body. “Then, I put on weight because of hyperthyroidism but, unfortunately, we live in a very shallow world where people are vain and pass comments on your appearance, no matter what size you are. All I can say is, always be confident and don’t let anybody break it. Every body is beautiful in their own way. Wear what you are comfortable in and do not get affected,” she says, adding, “The day you show trolling affects you, people will derive more pleasure from passing shallow comments everyday.”
TV actress Meinal Vaishnav has had a long brush with body shaming. “When I was in school, I was skinny. My relatives used to make fun of me. During puberty, when my body began changing, the same relatives again had lots of questions about why and how the ugly duckling was changing. Judgments are never-ending. But the question is, how far we let these affect us. We must shun these delusional measures of beauty and concentrate on being a beautiful person inside,” she says, adding, “We all have experienced it in some way or the other. The moment we are born, we are given various names based on our physical appearance — Golu, Kalu, Motu, etc. We all grow up with a certain sense of beauty standards in our minds. And anybody who doesn’t fit into it is either ugly or doing it all wrong. Thanks to the internet, now everybody is a self-acclaimed critic.”
“Most people don’t miss a chance to take a dig at someone. Even kids face a lot of bullying if they don’t fit the so called criteria of beauty standards,” adds Meinal.
Actress Elena Fernandes feels that people need to understand and be more sensitive to the reach and effect of their words. “People don’t realise the power of words. Casually saying ‘a girl has put on weight’ or telling someone their ‘skin is bad’ can trigger the journey of an awful complex that can last a lifetime. Think before you speak. Imagine how you would feel if someone criticised your appearance. You wouldn’t like it, so why would you do the same to another person? Words can have a detrimental effect on someone, so choose your words with care. Lift people up instead of breaking them down,” she urges.
Supporting his colleagues, actor Rohan Gandotra also opposes such negative comments and trolls. “I am totally with all my fellow actors and against all those who body-shame people or pass insulting comments on anyone. I just want haters to relax and take their frustrations out somewhere else rather than targeting actors,” he says.
There is an underlying hypocrisy, especially among Indian trolls, feels model and actor Laksh, “Appreciating Hollywood stars but shaming Indians in the name of culture, principles and judging someone on appearance defines the one who’s judging and not the one being judged. One must wear what they want to and pay no heed to the naysayers. The best way to deal with such trolling is to give it zero importance.”
Former cricketer-turned-actor, Karan Wahi feels people need to realise that celebrities are human too and have a right to do what they want. “I think if a person is okay with uploading something on social media then that is all that should matter. We can’t please everyone but I hope one day we will realise that making a joke out of someone isn’t cool,” he opines.
Actress Dalljiet Kaur agrees, “Having said that, everyone has a right to their opinion, one shouldn’t intrude in someone’s life and make it a matter of shame. It’s absolutely fine by me if anyone wants to post anything, as it’s his or her choice. And choices vary depending on what phase of life we are in. People who judge others should realise that they definitely can’t look back at their life as a model of perfection too. We all have been singled out at some point of time. So my advice for everyone out there, known or unknown, is to go ahead and do whatever they have to as long as they are not harming anyone’s sentiments in any way.”