Pakistani singer-actor Ali Zafar has spoken out in support of Katrina Kaif after the Bollywood star faced insensitive social-media commentary about her post-pregnancy appearance. In a strongly worded Instagram video, Zafar urged men to question the standards they impose on women and choose compassion over criticism.
Katrina, who recently made public appearances with husband Vicky Kaushal following the birth of their child, found herself at the centre of unkind online comparisons about how she looked “before” and “now”. The actor has not publicly addressed the trolling.
Without naming Katrina, Zafar referred to a former Bollywood co-star and said he had been disturbed by comments dissecting her appearance. “Recently, I saw some posts, comments, on social media about a colleague, co-star, with whom I had worked in Bollywood. A lot of discussions are happening that earlier she used to look like this and now she looks like this,” he said.
The singer, who starred opposite Katrina in the 2011 romcom Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, stressed that the real issue lies in the way men have been conditioned to look at women. “I feel that as a male, we all need to look inside ourselves, and make corrections. No one is perfect. But, the important part is to recognise, realise and correct that,” Zafar said.
Calling out the entitlement behind appearance-based judgement, he added: “If we talk man to man, the privilege we assume comes with being a man, and the way we perceive a woman, her body, the way she thinks and the way she lives — if she does not fit the standards that we have created, we immediately put that woman down.”
Zafar also spoke about the pressure women face to conform to constantly shifting ideals of beauty, while pointing out that the demands placed on men to maintain a “six-pack” physique throughout the year are no more realistic or healthy. “Every person is going through their own struggles, and we do not know what someone else might be dealing with. So, we should be kind to people, compassionate, understanding, accepting and appreciative,” he said.
Ending his video on a personal note, he acknowledged that people can learn from their own past mistakes. “I will feel ashamed if I ever criticise someone on the basis of their looks. We all must look inside and, as men, we should correct ourselves that we shouldn’t do this. Every woman has their life… let her live, and you live your life.”
Earlier, actor Shivaleeka Oberoi had also defended Katrina, calling the criticism of her postpartum appearance “ridiculous” and reminding people, “This is motherhood.”
Ali Zafar’s remarks in the video have been translated from Urdu into English.
Source: Khaleej Times