Fat of the matter

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A svelte figure has been a prerequisite for B’town entrants for the longest time. But, the current crop of actresses with their curvaceous frames, seem to have defied the rules and made way for the “real” woman.

After a bit of initial flak, the paparazzi welcomed the likes of Sonakshi Sinha and Parineeti Chopra as a breath of fresh air who did not succumb to the unreal standards of skinny frames set by their predecessors. Vidya Balan was praised for being unapologetic about her love handles.
But Sona’s recent contract termination with an apparel brand she endorses over issues of weight, hints at the fact that maybe the industry isn’t as evolved as we would like to believe it is. Sonakshi was asked to shed a few extra pounds if she wanted to continue to endorse the brand, and lost out when she refused to oblige. “Why should my weight matter to anyone at all? I am very well aware of what works for me and what doesn’t. But I guess media thrives on such trivial news,” she had lashed out in an earlier interview. This makes us wonder if the free-spirited acceptance of bulky heroines is only an offshoot of method acting or has a wave of maturity washed over.
Actress Parineeti Chopra says, “I am very comfortable in my skin. I refuse to be a bag of bones. As an actor, my work should be applauded or criticised — not my vital statistics,” she says.
Starlet Zarine Khan couldn’t agree more. “Everybody is born with a certain frame and should learn to appreciate it. I can’t be a size-zero girl even if I wanted to. I’d rather be known for my acting than my wash-board abs,” she says.
Choreographer-turned-actress Farah Khan who lost weight after making a debut as an actress, says, “I have always worked behind the camera — as a director and choreographer. Hence my body never attracted much attention. But when I saw myself onscreen in Shirin Farhan Ki Toh Nikal Padi, I realised how it was time for me to set things right,” says the mother of three children who has knocked off quite a few pounds since the movie.