Actor Radhikka Madan spoke out against the scrutiny women face over their appearance, expressing solidarity with Katrina Kaif after the latter faced criticism for her postpartum weight gain. Drawing from her own experience with body-shaming, Radhikka highlighted how women are constantly judged for their size, regardless of whether they gain or lose weight.
Radhikka Madan recalls body-shaming
Speaking to HT City, the actor recalled how her physical transformation for films became a source of criticism, eventually affecting her health. She said the experience taught her to stop chasing other people’s expectations and prioritise her well-being instead.
“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. How will she become a heroine?’ 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 shared.
However, losing weight did not put an end to the criticism. While she was initially considered too heavy, she was later labelled too thin. “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,” she said.
Radhikka Madan on unrealistic beauty standards
Radhikka also spoke about the pressure on young girls to meet society’s narrow definition of beauty, explaining how these expectations are reinforced from childhood through media representations of the so-called ideal woman.
She recalled having a unibrow and facial hair during school but credited her positive upbringing with helping her develop confidence in her appearance. Despite being aware of her differences, she said she never felt the need to seek validation from others.
“I find the idea of loving yourself a bit too cliche, but you have to accept yourself and have fun. Find your own quirks,” she said.
While acknowledging that ignoring online criticism is easier said than done, the actor urged people to recognise that the idea of a perfect woman is socially constructed. She also emphasised that self-acceptance is a gradual process rather than an overnight transformation.
“But be on this journey of finding yourself, your ground, and start by accepting yourself because you are like a snowflake,” Radhikka concluded. Radhikka was last seen in Lust Stories 3, streaming on Netflix.