Alia Bhatt lauds Kate Winslet for powerful message on body positivity

Women, particularly those in the entertainment industry, have always been criticised for their bodies. It’s either they are too skinny because of their fad diet or they are too overweight after pregnancy. Speaking during a recent interview, Oscar-winning actor Kate Winslet denounced this tendency to pressurise women for how they look, and described body shaming as ‘borderline abusive’. The interview (with ​​Josh Horowitz), which has now gone viral online, was also shared by Alia Bhatt in her Instagram stories, urging fans to watch it. 

In the video, Kate categorically talks about how women have time and again been subjected to body shaming. The Avatar: The Way of Water even said that if she could turn back time, she would have used her voice differently. Posting a clip of the interview, the Gangubai Kathiawadi star - who recently welcomed her first child (baby girl, Raha) with husband, actor Ranbir Kapoor - wrote, “WORD!!! PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO!”. The all caps indicated how much she is insisting on it.  

While social media goes berserk over how Malaika Arora looks so fit and desirable at 48, there have been instances where actors like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have been trolled for struggling to lose weight after delivering a child. Alia herself has been subjected to body shaming recently.

Mincing no words, Kate said in the interview, “If I could turn back the clock, I would have used my voice in a different way. I would have told the journalists, ‘don’t you dare to treat me this way, I am a young woman, my body is changing, I am figuring it out. I am deeply insecure, I am terrified. Don’t make it harder than it already is. That’s bullying, and also borderline abusive. I think it is getting better now.”

She further said, “But we still have actresses walking on the red carpet looking absolutely amazing. The fact that people would say, ‘looks honed and toned’, or the dreadful word ‘svelte’. Don’t even say it. It is such an irresponsible thing to do. It feeds directly into the minds of young women aspiring to the ideas of perfection that don’t exist; aspiring to have bodies that the press is saying we have. It is only for that one night, believe me. Mine comes straight off after the event, and I am in pyjamas, eating chips and farting. That’s what we do.” 

New mom Alia shares this video as she is now often spotted walking in and out of the gym, trying to shed those extra kilos that she put on in the past few months. All set to make her Hollywood debut with Heart of Stone, the Bollywood star is also gearing up to finish shooting for Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, where she’ll be seen opposite Ranveer Singh.