Kareena Kapoor has been out and about during her pregnancy and after it, giving body-shamers much to sneer about. But she couldn’t give a damn and we couldn’t applaud her more for it. But Shilpa Shetty’s story wasn’t quite the same. The actress said in a recent interview that she didn’t leave her house for seven months when she was expecting her son in 2012, and when she did after her delivery, she was made to feel embarrassed about her weight.
The pressure that I had when I had a baby, I didn’t get out of my house for seven months. The pressure that nothing fit me. I remember the first time I got out of my house, five months after my delivery, my husband took me out for lunch. There were few ladies sitting, they laughed. I heard them, ‘she hasn’t still lost her weight’.Shilpa Shetty, Actor
Being a celebrity comes with a price. When being judged for the way you look is pretty much the job description, it’s hard to ignore what people say. Going back to work wasn’t easy for the leading lady either. She dropped almost 32 kilos after her pregnancy.
Nach Baliye was my first outing after pregnancy, eight months after I delivered. I was very scared. Clothes weren’t fitting me, I was size 16, double the size I’ve ever been in my life. When you’re working, that gives you enough inspiration or goal. Some do it for their loved one, some for work, I think you’ve to do it for yourself.Shilpa Shetty
For regular women, the fact that Kareena Kapoor and Shilpa Shetty have shared their experiences with all guards down, is hugely heartening, and is likely to go a long way in how women perceive themselves and their own bodies.
Here’s to girl power.
(With PTI inputs)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)