Actor Richa Chadha has praised Salman Khan for addressing online trolling and body-shaming, particularly the criticism faced by women after childbirth. Her comments came after the Bollywood superstar spoke about the issue during the latest Bigg Boss 20 Weekend Ka Vaar promo.
Katrina Kaif recently faced intense online trolling over her appearance and weight after attending the Ambani family’s Ganpati celebrations with husband Vicky Kaushal. Following Salman Khan’s remarks on trolling, some fans interpreted his comments as an indirect reference to the criticism directed at Katrina.
Without naming anyone, Salman spoke about the different reasons people are targeted online, including their age, weight, appearance, family background and motherhood. He said, “Why do you want to troll? Uske wazan par, uske looks par, uske khaandaan par, kisi ke smile par, kisi ke flop par, kisi ke maa banne par, aap apni upbringing dikha rahe ho.”
Richa Chadha Calls Salman Khan’s Stand “Magnanimous”
Reacting to Salman’s comments, Richa Chadha welcomed his decision to speak against such online behaviour. She also pointed out that men are often behind trolling accounts and said that people should not allow such comments to affect them.
“I didn’t know he spoke about it but it’s great! It’s a magnanimous thing to do. One shouldn’t pay heed. Poor men are so limited in their thinking capacities and they’ll never have the profound experience of giving birth,” Richa said.
She also criticised men who mock women for changes in their bodies after becoming mothers. According to her, making fun of mothers ultimately reflects dissatisfaction with one’s own appearance.
“They cannot exist without us. All of them came from a womb. In the natural order of things, if you start to make fun of mothers, it backfires very badly. Every single individual, who sat with a stupid paunch and a receding hairline and made comments on women’s bodies, is unhappy with their own body,” she added.
Richa Chadha’s Own Experience With Body-Shaming
Richa has previously spoken publicly about experiencing body-shaming and dealing with an eating disorder because of the pressure to fit the conventional image of a Bollywood heroine. She has also criticised online attacks directed at other actresses, including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, over postpartum weight gain.
The actor is now entering the non-fiction space with Musafiri, a YouTube series that she describes as an extension of her postpartum journey. Richa has created, written, produced and hosted the show, in which she presents a more natural version of herself without make-up or an emphasis on appearance.
Richa Opens Up About Her New Show Musafiri
Speaking about the series, Richa said she did not want to focus on looking glamorous while documenting her postpartum journey.
“I can’t bother about vanity here. I can’t think that I’m overweight from the last time people saw me… I’m making a show about my postpartum journey. So, my body is as is, my hair is as is and my skin has acne. That’s just how it is. I can’t get very decked up. In an episode, you’ll see me roaming around in the bylanes of Dharavi. I didn’t want to look like an out-of-place foreigner,” she said.
Richa also recalled filming in Dharavi and explained that blending into the surroundings was important for the show. She said that only a few people recognised her and approached her while the team was shooting.
“I’ll anyway look like an out-of-place person in that kind of a get-up – even if I wear trousers and shoes. In some pockets, there will be people who’ll say, ‘Who’s she? Isko kahin dekha hai.’ But I’ve to blend in and do my work. Very few people recognised us and came to talk to us while we were filming. It’s a great quality to blend in,” she added.