Exclusive! Sonakshi Sinha: Growing up, I had no role models

Sonakshi Sinha is one Bollywood actress who has always been vocal about her life experiences, and has never shied away from sharing the challenges she has faced pertaining to her body type. 

Interestingly, in Sonakshi's upcoming film Double XL she plays a plus-size fashion designer from New Delhi named Saira Khanna. And her character finds a friend in another heavyset woman in the film, played by Huma Qureshi. 

At a press conference in New Delhi, while talking about the parallels Sonakshi Sinha had to draw from her own life to render justice to Saira, the actress complimented OTTplay for 'catching' on to the essence right and went on to explain that the film was deeply personal for both her and Huma Qureshi.

Sonakshi Sinha also revealed that she has been facing body shaming from long before she made it as an actress and how a lack of role model as a child affected her life. 

"It actually was (cathartic making Double XL) and you have caught on to that well. This film is very personal for the two of us. Because, not only from the start of our careers (referring to hers and Huma's), but we were subject to being body shamed long before that. We were heavier children than the others. And sometimes, while growing up, you never have those role models who can tell you that you know what 'it's okay, it's fine and things will get better... sab kuch theek hojayega; carry on with the way you are and everything will fall into place'. Humare paas woh role models shayad nahin the, which is why it was so important for us to become role models for those people who are watching this movie. And, everybody needs that reassurance growing up and I think it is very important to make people believe that it is not always about the way you look, it is not about how fat or thin you are, how tall or short or fair or dark you are. It is about you, your talent, your ambitions, your dreams in loife and that's all there is to life really. What is bigger than that? There's nothing bigger than that, not even you (laughs!)," Sonakshi Sinha told OTTplay. 

Sonakshi also touched upon her struggles from when she used to be a fashion student and people would 'constantly judge' for looking a certain way, and criticize her for opting for clothes that were not conventionally flattering. 

"... I think it is very very personal for both of us and for me, it was like reliving my college days. I have studied fashion designing and I have grown up in that environment where looks are so important. You have to fit into a certain dress size and people are constantly judging you. Mujhe toh college main log bolte the 'kaise kapde pehenke aagayi hai, dheele dhaale se' because those were the clothes that made me feel comfortable at that point of time but people didn't see that. So, I really felt like I was re-living those days (while shooting for Double XL) and for me it was important to kind of put that across ki this is how people feel when they go through that," concluded Sonakshi Sinha. 

For the uninitiated, Double XL is the journey of two plus-size women—Rajshree Trivedi from Meerut and Saira Khanna from New Delhi—as they navigate society's beauty standards. Directed by Satram Ramani, the film stars Sonakshi Sinha, Huma Qureshi and Zaheer Iqbal in pivotal roles, and is slated to release in theatres on November 4, 2022.