Vidya Balan: Even At My Thinnest, I’ve Always Felt Fat

Some things never change, like they say. Like, for instance, the unrealistic beauty standards that Bollywood has set for its actresses. To be a Bollywood actress, you are required to have the quintessential body without which, the industry won't even consider looking at you, forget offering you movies. Vidya Balan proved her mettle as an actress with her debut film - Parineeta and yet, despite choosing versatile characters and out-of-the-box movies, the actress has always been body-shamed. If the industry is only not accepting of women who are curvy or are on the healthier side, we shouldn't be expecting any support from outsiders. Vidya Balan's Captivating Look On Filmfare's February 2019 Edition Will Convince You That 40 is the New Sexy! (View Pic).

In an interview with Filmfare, Vidya, once again opened up about how she has been living life on her own terms and conditions, happy with how she looks and how she has stopped giving a tiny rat's ass about what others have to say about her body. For all those who have been on the slightly heavier side right from their growing up years would know how difficult it is to get over those nasty comments you get to hear in your childhood. Peers, society and even family members don't refrain from commenting on your weight and that doesn't real help you grow as an individual. You end up being insecure about your body and there are other inhibitions that you develop. Mission Mangal: Vidya Balan Begins Shooting With Sanjay Kapoor for the Movie - See Pic.

Speaking about which, the Tumhari Sulu actress said,

I rejected my body all my life. I worked hard at accepting myself. That acceptance isn’t complete yet. It’s still a long way. People don’t understand that when you grow up a fat girl, it doesn’t leave you.

Adding further,

I’ve had hormonal problems all my life. It’s probably because of the judgement I’ve carried around my body. When I was a teenager, people would tell me, ‘You’ve got such a pretty face, why don’t you lose some weight?’ It’s not a nice thing to say to anyone. Be it a child or a grown-up. So, I’d starve myself, I’d go through crazy exercise regimens and lose weight. Then the hormonal issue would settle for a bit before it reared its head again. I guess it was my body’s way of revolting because in wanting it to be what it was not, I was constantly rejecting it.

She also said,

There’s no machine as smart as your body. It’s the only machine that has emotional intelligence. So even at my thinnest, I’ve always felt fat. Weight loss, weight gain, weight loss, weight gain was my pattern for as long as I can remember. Years ago, I stopped watching my shots on the monitor at shoots because I’d look at the monitor and be thinking, ‘Am I looking fat?

What are your thoughts on Vidya's statements? Comment below and tell us. Meanwhile, the actress is gearing up for two big projects - Mission Mangal (Bollywood), which also stars Nithya Menen, Akshay Kumar, Tapsee Pannu and a few others; and Shakuntala Devi Biopic (South) which might also have Sanya Malhotra play the role of her daughter.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 01, 2019 12:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).