Swara Bhasker’s body-shaming by a news outlet
Recently, actress Swara Bhasker responded to a body-shaming article in a major Hindi newspaper that implied her weight gain was the reason she wasn’t getting roles in movies. Swara blasted the publication on her Instagram Stories after posting a screenshot of the tweet for the article.
Writing in Devanagari, she wrote, “This is a prominent Hindi newspaper handle that feels it’s newsworthy that a new mother, who gave birth a few months ago, gained weight! Would you kindly explain to the geniuses the physiology of childbirth?” According to the original tweet, Swara isn’t getting work because of her weight gain.
For those who don’t know, Swara wed politician Fahad Ahmed in January of last year, and on September 23, 2023, their daughter Raabiyaa was born. The article that focuses on the star’s weight gain after giving birth and how it affects her career prospects brings up a number of important points that are indicative of larger social issues.
Above all, the purported “news” openly shames a public figure whose body has recently undergone a traumatic procedure by body shaming. Though it’s sometimes referred to as a miracle, giving birth has the greatest physical and psychological toll on a new mother.
Body shaming is a bad habit in and of itself that devalues a person’s self-worth and upholds unattainable beauty standards. Comments such as these are especially hurtful and unfair to a new mother. Gaining weight after giving birth is a normal and healthy aspect of the healing process. Critiquing a woman for her postpartum body changes not only betrays a lack of knowledge about basic human physiology, but it also feeds damaging stereotypes about women’s bodies always needing to fit certain molds.
Let’s not lose sight of the reality that the media’s attention to Swara’s weight, as opposed to her accomplishments in her career or her personal life, is a reflection of a systemic misogyny that values women’s appearances over their abilities and contributions. This story minimizes a successful actor and recent mother to her physical characteristics, ignoring her skills, accomplishments, and the momentous life event that she has just gone through. It perpetuates the harmful stereotype that a woman’s value is mostly based on how attractive she is. This stereotype has long afflicted several industries, most notably entertainment.
These kinds of articles can also be very harmful to the mental health of women in general and new mothers in particular. Being a mother is a difficult adjustment, and newlyweds frequently experience intense pressure to “bounce back” to their pre-pregnancy bodies.
In addition, it is unfair and exposes discriminatory practices in the entertainment industry to associate Swara’s weight with her career prospects. It is extremely problematic to suggest that a female star’s employability depends more on her looks than her skill. It reinforces a toxic culture in which actresses face harsher criticism and are held to unrealistic expectations, which can impede their ability to advance professionally and limit their career options.
Journalism has to inform and influence public opinion. Sensationalizing the weight gain of a new mother betrays this responsibility and fosters negative stereotypes and problems with body image. It follows that the urgent need for more responsible and respectful journalism that supports rather than denigrates people—especially women—during vulnerable times like the postpartum period is not surprising.
I am a dedicated student currently in my seventh semester, pursuing a degree in International Relations. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am actively engaged in the professional field as a content writer at the Rangeinn website.
