PremiumVidya Balan recalls on her weight struggles: Spent a lifetime hating my body
Vidya Balan reveals facing body shaming and how she used to be very angry with her mother.
Last Updated: 12.52 PM, Sep 18, 2023
Vidya Balan, besides being an absolutely wonderful actor has also made a strong case for body positivity. However, as everything does not come easily, the actress also needed a while to develop body acceptance and appreciation.
Recently the Neeyat actress opened up about her childhood struggles with body image in a YouTube interview with Luke Coutinho. The actor described how early dieting and fitness regimens that had a significant negative impact on her relationship with her body resulted from her mother's worries about her weight.
Vidya Balan on not having a quintessential heroine body
Vidya said: “I have been criticised a lot for my body and it has not been easy at all. I have spent a lifetime hating my body. It is only now that I have accepted my body. Not to say I do not have bad days and I do not want to be Barbie."
She continued by adding that she doesn't appreciate people telling her she's lost weight since she doesn't want to encourage any discussion about her shape. She continued, saying that although she enjoys working out and is quite regular about it, people assume she doesn't work out at all. “For whatever reason, I don’t have the quintessential heroine body, I have not been able to figure that out,” she added.
Vidya on her mom
Vidya stated that she was a 'chubby girl' growing up and that her mother always tried to help her slim down. She continued by saying that even at school, people used 'cute' titles to allude to her size. She reveals that her mother was afraid that Vidya would be judged like her, who also grew up as a big girl. Vidya added, "Parents are always worried for their children and I see that today. I used to be very angry with my mother, ‘Why does she make me go through the exercise regime? Why is she making me diet so early?’ Maybe it’s because she was worried for me. I grew up hating my body. I had developed hormonal issues very early on in my life because it was the rejection of the body.”
Vidya's journey of self-acceptance
It wasn't an easy road to self-acceptance, and Vidya was aware of the work it required to get where she is now. “It’s taken me a lot of work to reach this stage. The journey of acceptance started around the time I was maybe 30-31 and it’s only been getting better.”
Vidya Balan's work front
Vidya Balan most recently portrayed CBI officer Mira Rao in the movie Neeyat. She will have a significant role in the upcoming movie Lovers from director Shirsha Guha Thakurta, which also stars Sendhil Ramamurthy, Ileana D'Cruz, and Pratik Gandhi.