Dear Akshay Kumar, You Did Fat Shame Sonakshi Sinha. And We Don’t Need To Brush This Under The Carpet
I am of the school of thought, and I most certain many people with agree with me on this, that there is always a way in which certain things must be said or conveyed, especially when the topic in question is a rather sensitive one, like a woman’s body type and figure. Most of the time, it’s better if you shut up and don’t say anything. Of course, no one in this country cares about this school of thought. And we will tell you why. Because even the top actors of the industry like Akshay Kumar, don’t quite understand the gravity of the words they are dropping to ‘defend’ a woman.
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For the uninitiated, the controversy started years ago with a comment that Housefull actor Akshay Kumar passed with reference to Sonakshi Sinha and that unflattering comment has once again flared up after being scrutinised and it is being deemed as rather demeaning. Turns out, a few years back in an interview, when Akshay Kumar was asked about her then co-star Sonakshi Sinha, he said, “Sonakshi is a wonderful actress who has her own style of acting. She has an absolutely different figure – a typical, Indian figure and not size zero. Khaate peete gharane ki lagti hai. I am a pure Punjabi. I like heroines who are hari bhari. Chusa hua aam na lage.”
Also Read : Nargis Fakhri Says Body Shaming Is Real When You’re In The Public Eye. We Think That Sucks!
And while the only response it was received with back then was a compliant nod, smile and big claps to just how generous he is with his compliments and choice in women, looking back to it, people have finally realised how problematic it was, even then. You see, the way Akshay Kumar casually dismissed her figure as a ‘hari bhari‘ was him trying to be funny or something and he, in fact, contradicted the very point he was probably trying to make.
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Sonakshi Sinha was of a different view, as she came to the actor’s defence and said, “Firstly, let me start by saying that trolls really have nothing better to do in life, so this is what they resort to. People have to understand that I was heavily body shamed at the start of my career, in spite of having lost 30 kilos, and what Akshay said was probably in response to something on the same lines.”
And while we want to believe that Akshay did mean it in no harm, we think it still stands problematic that he or Sonakshi don’t see just how inappropriate it really is. Akshay shouldn’t be allowed the liberty to pass such remarks on a woman’s body.
There are plenty other ways in which you can share your views and further body positivity, without offending anyone by calling them either ‘Hari bhari’, or ‘Chusa hua aam’. A lesson Akshay should certainly subscribe to.
