Highlights
- Ali Zafar has spoken out after Katrina Kaif faced body-shaming online
- The actor urged men to examine how they judge women and their bodies
- He called for greater kindness and told people to “let her live”
Ali Zafar has spoken out against the online body-shaming faced by Katrina Kaif following her recent public appearances, using the conversation to call on men to reflect on how they view women and unrealistic beauty standards.
Katrina, who welcomed her son with husband Vicky Kaushal last year, recently made a rare public appearance with him at Mukesh and Nita Ambani’s Ganpati celebration. Photos and videos from the event prompted some social media users to compare her appearance before and after pregnancy.
Ali, who worked with Katrina in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, said he had seen some of the comments and posts circulating online.
Ali Zafar asks men to look within themselves
Speaking about the criticism, Ali said he has opposed this kind of trolling for years, including when Pakistani actresses such as Mahira Khan faced similar scrutiny.
He said men need to examine their own attitudes towards women rather than imposing standards on how they should look, think or live.
“We all need to look within ourselves,” Ali said. He added that men should recognise their own mistakes and make the necessary corrections.
The actor also questioned the idea that women should meet certain physical standards created by society.
“If she does not fit the standards that we have created, we immediately put that woman down,” he said.
‘It’s not healthy to always criticise other people’
Ali also spoke about how beauty ideals have changed over time, pointing out that expectations around women’s bodies have varied across different eras.
He argued that the pressure to maintain a particular body type is unrealistic, while similar expectations are also placed on men through ideals such as having six-pack abs.
According to Ali, constantly criticising people based on their appearance is neither healthy nor fair. He encouraged people to approach others with kindness, compassion and understanding.
“We all have a past,” he said, adding that he would feel ashamed if he ever criticised someone because of their looks.
‘Let her live’
Ali concluded by stressing that people do not know what someone else may have experienced or what they could be dealing with privately.
His message was particularly direct when he addressed the way women are judged for their appearance.
“Every woman has their life, what she has gone through, what her past, present or future, let her live, and you live your life,” he said.
Katrina has faced similar comments before. She was also subjected to body-shaming after appearing at filmmaker Kuku Kohli’s prayer meet in August, prompting actor Shivaleeka Oberoi to question the criticism and point out that Katrina had recently experienced motherhood.
Ali’s comments come amid a wider discussion about the pressure placed on celebrities, particularly women, to quickly return to a particular appearance after pregnancy.
