Unfair to link postpartum bodies to job prospects

Swara Bhasker and Kajal Aggarwal Criticize Unfair Body-Shaming and Career Expectations for New Moms

Actor Swara Bhasker and politician Fahad Ahmed welcomed their baby girl, Raabiyaa, on January 23, 2023. On June 4, Bhasker used Instagram Stories to criticise a body-shaming article from a major newspaper that implied her weight gain was the reason she wasn’t being cast in movies. She shared a screenshot of the article’s tweet and wrote, “For those who cannot read the Devanagari script, this is a leading Hindi newspaper handle that thinks it is newsworthy that a recent mom, who birthed a child a few months ago, put on weight! Can someone please explain the physiology of childbirth to the geniuses…”

Similarly, actor Kajal Aggarwal, who is preparing for her upcoming release Satyabhama, has addressed post-childbirth insecurities and the need for diverse roles for married female actors in Southern cinema. In an interview with Galatta Plus, Aggarwal highlighted the limited scope of roles for women in the South compared to Bollywood, where stars like Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt frequently land significant roles in romantic and action films.

Aggarwal expressed her frustration with this disparity but emphasized her commitment to her principles throughout her career. Despite getting married, having a child, and taking a short break from acting, she has been selective about her roles. She shared her anxiety during her maternity leave, wondering if she would ever get lucrative offers again. However, her resilience and careful choice of projects have facilitated a successful return to the film industry. She cited her role in Kanappa, a film she wanted to be part of due to her love for mythology, as an example of her pursuit of meaningful roles.

Re-reported from the article originally published in She the people.