Actress Radhikka Madan has opened up about her experience with body-shaming and how the pressure to meet industry expectations affected her health. The actress revealed that she was criticised for being overweight after gaining 15 kg for her debut film, Pataakha. However, when she started losing weight for subsequent projects, she faced criticism for being too thin.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Radhikka spoke about how these conflicting opinions affected her and why she eventually decided to prioritise her health over other people’s expectations.
Radhikka Madan Recalls Being Body-Shamed After Gaining Weight
Radhikka gained 15 kg for Pataakha, which marked her Bollywood debut. She subsequently started losing the weight while working on films like Shiddat and Angrezi Medium. However, the comments she received about her appearance took a toll on her. She said,
“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. Heroine kaise banegi ye’. I kept losing weight and shooting back-to-back, and fully became like bones. It started affecting my health, so I took a break.”
The actress explained that she was first criticised for being too heavy and later faced criticism for being too thin. The constant pressure made her question why she was trying so hard to satisfy others. She added,
“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. Once you do that, others’ opinions don’t affect you as you become wiser. You don’t know what insecurity they [critiques] are coming from. But I have that security of knowing that now, I am chasing health.”
Radhikka Madan on Unrealistic Beauty Standards
Radhikka acknowledged that online criticism is unlikely to disappear. While learning to ignore negative comments is important, she admitted that it is not always easy, especially when people grow up surrounded by unrealistic beauty standards. She said,
“Us time pe aisa hota nahi hai because we have this manicured idea and this burden, especially on girls, about how to look and what’s a perfect size. And if you aren’t fitting in that, you are going wrong. That conditioning comes from childhood as you see such women only on magazine covers. We have to realise that the idea of a perfect woman is fed to us.”
Her comments highlight the pressure women face to fit into a particular image of beauty. Such expectations can begin at an early age and influence how people perceive their own appearance.
Radhikka Madan Talks About Self-Love and Confidence
The actress also spoke about the importance of accepting oneself. While self-love may sound clichéd, she believes that embracing one’s individuality can make a difference. Recalling her school days, Radhikka said,
“In school, I even had a unibrow and was really hairy, but because my parenting was quite positive, I was hyped so much that I felt people don’t realise but I am beautiful.”
She also explained that she never felt the need to seek validation from her friends. That confidence stayed with her even when people’s attitudes towards her changed.
“I had friends but I never felt the need for their validation to be seen. So, even when my unibrow went away and people started noticing me, I judged them because I felt the same as before.”
Radhikka Madan’s Upcoming Work
On the professional front, Radhikka Madan was last seen in Lust Stories 3. She played Sailee Vaidya in the segment directed by Shakun Batra, opposite Ali Fazal. Through her experience, the actress has highlighted how criticism over appearance can affect a person’s well-being. Her decision to focus on health rather than chasing a particular body size also underlines the importance of self-acceptance.
Radhikka’s message is simple: prioritising your health and accepting yourself matter more than trying to meet constantly changing expectations of beauty.
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