Different places in the world idolise different kinds of body types. While in India, many women crave to have a size-0, in the US, the Kardashian-type body (fuller hips and butt) is the ‘perfection’ many are after. For example, Mrunal Thakur had revealed how she was called a ‘matka’ here in India but in the US, she was called a ‘Kardashian’.
Similarly, Rakul Preet Singh opened up about how in the South, she was called a “stick” and was regarded as “too thin”. But when she came to Bollywood, she was asked to lose weight.
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ETimes quoted her saying:
“When I debuted, Samantha (Ruth Prabhu) and Kajal (Aggarwal) were already stars, and they were fit. I think people became conscious about how they look on the screen because the content was being consumed everywhere. But when I debuted, I was told I am too thin. People would call me ‘stick’ and I would say ‘no’. But after two-three years I gave in also.”
She further claimed that she lost 10 kgs in 50 days, which is now considered unhealthy, to fit into Bollywood’s standards.
“When I came to Mumbai and I started auditioning at the age of 20, I was told that I will have to lose weight because that was the standard of Bombay. But I didn’t have access or understanding since I was a kid. I lost 10 kg in 50 days, and I didn’t think I was 10 kg overweight, but I was.”
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Much of the audience is unaware of how Bollywood actors are made to undergo unhealthy methods to look a certain way. There are cosmetic procedures, pills, and what not to make female actors look slim and trim. Many of these do come with their own set of side effects. So it’s best to focus on staying healthy and fit than losing weight.