Bollywood Actors Reflect on Unrealistic Beauty Standards and Societal Pressures

From 'keeping it real' to 'being comfortable in their skin' actors talk about navigating beauty norms

Film industry actors talk about navigating beauty standards.

(Photo: The Quint/Zijah Sherwani)

In today's era dominated by social media, the pervasive pressure to maintain a certain appearance is widely acknowledged. Several Bollywood actors actively express their views on this matter, both on social platforms and in interviews.

Whether it's Bhumi Pednekar, who grew up hating her looks; Vijay Varma, actively reducing the stigma and normalizing his vitiligo; or Richa Chadha, calling out the hypocrisy of those who once criticized actors' appearances in their articles but are now vocal about #BodyPositivity— actors have often discussed in interviews with The Quint about how they navigate evolving standards and societal pressures surrounding beauty.

Here's a compilation of all the interviews.

Bhumi Pednekar on growing up hating her looks as a byproduct of social and patriarchal conditioning

Vijay Varma on normalising his acne scars and vitiligo

Sara Ali Khan on why she doesn't feel the pressure to look a certain way

Konkona Sen on the kind of bodies ‘allowed’ to show sensuality on screen

What do you think about such beauty norms and how do you tackle them? Let us know in the comment section.

Video Editor: Arnab Chakravorty