Body shaming and appearance-based remarks remain prevalent, especially for women in the entertainment industry who often face harsh scrutiny. Actress Banita Sandhu, known for October and Sardar Udham, recently spoke out about being criticised for being too skinny.
Banita Sandhu opens up about being body-shamed: “I remember people calling me ugly because I looked like a twig”
In a conversation with ANI, Banita Sandhu reflected on her experience of being body-shamed and the impact it had on her. She shared, “I remember getting body shamed when I did a South Indian movie. I remember people calling me ugly because I looked like a twig. And how could the co-star be attracted to me in the movie because I was so skinny. That was the first time I think I experienced body shaming. But at the same time, it was this weird, it almost felt like a simulation because it was happening online. I don’t know how to explain it. And it was from a culture that was something I hadn’t grown up in.”
Banita further shared her perspective, saying, “So, I didn’t feel as closely offended or criticised by it. I was like, ‘Oh, okay, the beauty standard in this region is different to what I look like’. And that’s just how I took it. I didn’t take it to heart. Like, oh, my God, I need to gain so much weight now. And I’m because I’m naturally very skinny, you can literally ask any producer I’ve worked with, like I eat the most on set.”
However, she emphasized the importance of not letting such criticism affect you, stating, “So, it wasn’t something like it was the first time I experienced something like that. But also, I think with anything online, you just can’t take it seriously… you really can’t.”
Sandhu, who hails from Caerleon, Wales, made her acting debut in 2018 with Shoojit Sircar’s October alongside Varun Dhawan. She went on to appear in the American TV series Pandora and the Tamil film Adithya Varma in 2019, followed by a role in Sardar Udham. Reflecting on her debut, she said, “I was incredibly blessed. It was one of those things that, it was like a domino effect, and everything kind of just fell into place, and to have, your first movie with a director like that, too, it’s a blessing and a curse. Because it’s a blessing to have your first movie with a director like that, but it’s a curse in a sense that you really realise what a privilege it is to have a director like that for your first movie, and it’s hard to get back there again.”
Also Read: Banita Sandhu reacts to rumours of her dating Canadian rapper AP Dhillon
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