A wave of insensitive remarks about Katrina Kaif’s post-pregnancy appearance at the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations has drawn a strong response from a totally unexpected quarter — her former Mere Brother Ki Dulhan co-star, Pakistani actor-singer Ali Zafar.
Ali Zafar’s strong message to men: “Look within yourselves”
Without mentioning Katrina directly, Ali Zafar posted a video on his social media handle addressing the mounting criticism. He said he had recently noticed posts targeting his former Bollywood co-star, with people making harsh comparisons between her current appearance and how she looked before becoming a mother.
Zafar used the moment to reflect on what he described as the psychological issues behind men judging women based on their bodies. He urged men to look within themselves instead of judging women or passing comments about their appearance. He also spoke about how beauty standards have changed over the years, creating unrealistic expectations for both women and men.
Zafar candidly admitted that he, too, had judged people based on their appearance in the past, calling it a habit that needs to change. He further urged people to be kinder and more understanding, pointing out that no one truly knows what others may be going through behind the scenes.
Katrina Kaif faces body-shaming post-pregnancy: Here’s why?
Katrina Kaif and her husband, Vicky Kaushal, welcomed their first child, a son named Vihaan, in November last year. Since then, the actress has maintained a low profile and stayed away from the spotlight. She made a few recent public appearances, particularly at the Ambani family’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, which quickly caught attention. Photos and videos of the actress went viral and, in no time, triggered toxic and harsh comparisons on social media, with several users making unkind remarks about her post-pregnancy appearance and comparing it to how she looked before becoming a mother.
This was not the first time the actress faced similar criticism. She had earlier been subjected to body-shaming when she attended filmmaker Kuku Kohli’s prayer meet in August, with actress Shivaleeka Oberoi publicly pushing back against the criticism at the time.
For the unversed, Ali Zafar and Katrina Kaif starred together in the 2011 romantic comedy Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, one of several Hindi films that marked Zafar’s crossover into Bollywood alongside his singing career.
The bigger reality of post-pregnancy body-shaming
Zafar’s comments add to the growing pushback against such conversations. Rather than being directed at one particular person, his message highlights the larger issue of how society judges women’s bodies, particularly those of new mothers, after motherhood