From 'too fat' to 'too thin': Radhikka Madan opens up about body-shaming

Actor Radhikka Madan has spoken about the pressure women face over their appearance, sharing her own experience of body-shaming and the toll it took on her health. Expressing solidarity with Katrina Kaif, who recently faced criticism over postpartum weight gain, the actor said women are often judged regardless of their body type.

Recalling how she was criticised for her weight during different stages of her career, Radhikka said she had tried to meet expectations about how a heroine should look, only to realise that the criticism did not stop even after she lost weight.

'It started affecting my health'

Radhikka said she had gained 15 kg for her film 'Pataakha' and was subsequently trying to lose the weight while shooting for 'Shiddat' and 'Angrezi Medium'.

"I had gained 15 kgs for Pataakha, and I was losing that weight through Shiddat and Angrezi Medium. I was told that I was 'too fat. Heroine kaise banegi ye'. I kept losing weight and shooting back-to-back, and fully became like bones. It started affecting my health, so I took a break,” she shares.

The experience made her question why she was trying so hard to satisfy other people's expectations. She said the constant comments about her appearance eventually pushed her to prioritise her health over a particular body size.

“Earlier, I was too fat, now I was too thin, and in between, I was neither here nor there. I asked myself why am I trying to please people when they will never be happy? So, I started focusing on feeling healthy rather than chasing a particular body size. Once you do that, others’ opinions don’t affect you as you become wiser. You don’t know what insecurity they (critiques) are coming from. But I have that security of knowing that now, I am chasing health.”

'The idea of a perfect woman is fed to us'

Radhikka also spoke about how childhood conditioning and unrealistic beauty standards can affect girls' confidence. She pointed out that magazine covers and carefully curated images often shape perceptions of what women are expected to look like.

“Us time pe aisa hota nahi hai because we have this manicured idea and this burden, especially on girls, about how to look and what’s a perfect size. And if you aren’t fitting in that, you are going wrong. That conditioning comes from childhood as you see such women only on magazine covers. So, if I am sitting in a classroom with a unibrow and some facial hair, I will never feel enough as I am not that ideal woman. We have to realise that the idea of a perfect woman is fed to us,” she says.

Radhikka on accepting yourself

The actor said a positive upbringing helped her feel confident despite being conscious of features such as her unibrow and facial hair during school.

“I find the idea of loving yourself a bit too cliche, but you have to accept yourself and have fun. Find your own quirks.”

Acknowledging that self-acceptance can be a long and confusing process, Radhikka encouraged people to keep discovering themselves and accepting their individuality.

“But be on this journey of finding yourself, your ground, and start by accepting yourself because you are like a snowflake,” she ends.