The ugliest humor falls in the body shaming genre. Wickedly offered in all shapes, sizes and scurrilities, it merely favors the factory-manufactured protype of beauty. And dare if you’re thinner, more athletic, risqué with your sartorial sensibility or even too plastic than that. It’ll immediately pigeonhole you as skinny, slutty, boyish, even tranny-esque.
Who better than celebrities whose every movement is tracked and critiqued with a hawk’s eye view to second it? The punchline, however, is that for every fat troll, a Vidya Balan has proved her mettle instead. For every slut shame, a Kalki Koechlin or Malaika Arora continue to rule the roost. For every lip, b**b or butt job, a Nargis Fakhri and Anushka Sharma make it their prerogative. Guess they’re having the last laugh this Independence Day. As they take a stand against those who bully, we award them for paving the way to be #FreeFrom body shamers.
Here's how our favourite celebs show us how to deal with body shaming:
1. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
For being unapologetic about the baggage (pun intended) that came with her pregnancy.
“In this industry it comes as standard that when an actress becomes a mother the focus isn’t on her health, it’s on how fast she loses her weight. I don’t worry about this; to me my well-being and the health of my family is more important than focusing on going back to my pre-pregnancy body in miracle time.”
2. Vidya Balan
For bringing home an award every time a body shamer cut her down to size.
“A fat girl always feels like a boy will not like her because of her weight. But there is only so much a boyfriend, a husband and your family can do. But I know that love is non-negotiable and at the end of the day, you must come to terms with who you are… My weight is nobody’s business.”
3. Sonakshi Sinha
For giving curves a sexy name. Especially when packaged with oodles of sass.
“To all those who keep commenting on my weight, whether it’s a full picture, or a close up where you can’t see jack, take a good look at this picture... Now get this: 1) This ain’t ever gonna be me. 2) Get over it. 3) I wish you could see which finger I hold up for shallow and idiotic people like yourself.”
4. Anushka Sharma
For shopping for her own devices, in this case a lip augment.
“I didn’t think I had to inform the world before getting my lips enhanced. It’s my body and my decision. It was for my character in Bombay Velvet and it was purely my decision. It’s like main kal jooti khareedne jaa rahi hoon toh (I’ve to shop for shoes tomorrow so,) I have to inform everyone!”
5. Nargis Fakhri
For unobjectifying cosmetic surgery and making it de rigueur.
“Everyone pans augmentation. I will get one if I feel like it. Cosmetic surgery is made for people who suffer trauma. For those who don’t feel as perky as they did in their ’20s. If you can use an extra lift, then why suffer? Men age well, women don’t hold up well after babies. The body goes through changes. And if it wasn’t for science, these women would be pushed aside and not be considered beautiful anymore. Why should a woman be denied a life of excitement just because she is 60, older, wiser and her periods have stopped?”
6. Lisa Haydon
For giving us the skinny on skinny girls’ complexities.
“People always think that if you’re on the larger side or you’re overweight, then you (develop) a complex. But being a skinny kid (gives you a) complex too. I remember being picked on for being a toothpick. Since I was really skinny and tall. Eventually, you fill out and then, you tend to not put on weight when you’re older. But, when you’re younger and if you’re extremely thin, people just make fun of you.”
7. Sonam Kapoor
For openly declaring that #NobodyWakesUpLikeThis, Beyoncé included.
“Flawlessness is a dangerous, high-budget myth, and it’s time we shattered it... For every teen girl leaning into her bedroom mirror, wondering why she doesn’t look like a celebrity: Please know that nobody wakes up like this. Not me. Not any other actress. (Not even Beyoncé. I swear.) Here’s the real deal: Before each public appearance, I spend 90 minutes in a makeup chair. Three to six people work on my hair and makeup, while a professional does up my nails.”
8. Neha Dhupia
For fearlessly firing from the hip and putting every troll(er) into perspective.
“People need to understand that the new F word is not f**k, it’s fat. People who troll, aren’t the right body size either. No one has the right to decide what looking great is, what normal is. My advice to people who body shame is #GoF**kYourself. I’m speaking for a section of women who’re fit, who live their lives and who eat well. And for women, who give up chocolates or starve themselves, #GoF**kYourself.”
