As a guest editor for Buzzfeed, Sonam spoke about the body shaming and how it affected her.
The idea, however, resonates with everyone who has been shamed for being fat or too skinny
In her post, she writes
Why does my belly crease? Why do my arms jiggle? Why am I not fair? Why are there dark patches under my eyes? Why am I taller than boys my age? Do stretch marks ever go away? Will this cellulite stay forever?
"Itni lambi, itni kaali," a relative casually let slip at a family gathering. "Shaadi kaun karega?" It confirmed that my greatest insecurities were well-founded.
When she was cast in Saawariya, she was apprehensive "If asked to dance in a backless choli, rolls of back fat would give me away as an imposter to the industry. Nobody lines up to buy tickets to see cellulite."
As a result,"I embarked on a series of unhealthy behaviours. I dieted serially; sometimes South Beach, other times Atkins. Once, in desperation, I tried a diet that had me eating pineapples all day."
She even spoke about the time she was rejected for being "too big": "At 18, I went on a date that I thought went well. Later, the boy told our mutual friend that'Sonam is too big'. I didn't eat for a day.(Now, thanks to those dumbass teenage decisions, I'm stuck with acidity for life)."
The self-loathing that came with body shaming didn't go away even after she made it to Bollywood. Instead, "I was shown new reasons to hate it."
."Eventually, I didn't even need the tabloids to point out my flaws. I could look at myself on camera monitors and predict what would be criticised. I still remember the frames I hated immediately: the tight silver dress from Bewakoofiyaan, the song with Neil Nitin in Players, the swimsuit and shorts in Aisha, to name a few."
However, this isn't unheard of. "Of course, scrutiny of female bodies isn't new, or even restricted to celebrities. I mean, raise your hand if you've ever been called "healthy" by a relative, or been given unsolicited advice by a friend about how to lose weight.
Raise your hand if you were told to stay out of the sun so you don't get dark.
Raise your hand if you started hating your body after somebody else told you how."
Here's what's gone wrong:
"We've been taught that women need to be flawless even when our flawlessness is wildly implausible, sexy even when our sexiness is a break from plot. We're sprinting through Jurassic Park in heels, fighting supervillains in strapless corsets, being stranded on deserted islands for days without a hint of stubble. Real female bodies are so taboo that hair-removal-cream ads show hairless legs even before the cream is applied.
The rules of beauty are strict and it's almost impossible to win. Anushka Sharma has been skinny-shamed, Sonakshi Sinha has been fat-shamed, Katrina Kaif has been fit-shamed. These are women who are and always have been staggeringly beautiful."
"The problem is in mainstream culture's rigid definitions of female beauty."
Here's how she championed it
"The solution, for me, has been in the women I know.
It's been a decade since I entered the film industry with my awful self-esteem in tow and, thanks to the female support I've had throughout, that self-esteem is in a healthier place now."
"All the women who've championed me have taught me that kind, genuine support can change your friend's or sister's or colleague's life."
"Today, at 31," she is in a happier space,"I like my body because it's healthy. I'm done celebrating thinness or flawlessness.The ball is in the media's court to celebrate fit bodies rather than thin ones, and to know the difference.
I know now that there's nothing wrong with stretch marks, cellulite, or scars. They're markers of our growth. There's beauty in their realness.
And, for the record, I'm not writing this to discourage the pursuit of glamour. Anyone who knows me knows I love feeling pretty - fashion can lend power, makeup can become motivation, a fun accessory can become your source of confidence for the day.
But pursue prettiness for yourself, by your own definitions - not to meet culturally preset notions of "flawless"
Because flawlessness is a dangerous, high-budget myth, and it's time we shattered it."
Source:Buzzfeed
