Parineeti Chopra Defends Katrina Kaif Over Postpartum Body Trolling

Actor Parineeti Chopra has criticised the online trolling faced by women actors over postpartum weight gain, calling such comments “absolutely uneducated” while defending her industry peer Katrina Kaif.

Kaif, who welcomed a baby boy with husband Vicky Kaushal in November last year, recently faced online comments about her appearance. Superstar Salman Khan also spoke out against the trolling directed at the actor.

“When somebody comments on a postpartum body, I find it uneducated,” Chopra told PTI in an interview.

The actor compared changes associated with pregnancy to other physical changes people experience and said a woman's body should not be judged negatively after giving birth.

“You get a haircut, your hair is going to be shorter. You go for a vacation, you are going to come back with a tan. You are going to the gym, so you are going to make abs. There is going to be evidence of what you did on your body and all that is celebrated,” she said.

“But making a human life, a baby, that evidence on the body is not celebrated. How is it negative?” Chopra added.

Parineeti, who gave birth to a son in October last year, said she deliberately stays away from social media to avoid negativity and does not follow most online trolling involving herself or others.

“I don't even know the trolling that is happening around me or around people,” she said, describing such discussions as “a waste of time”.

The actor also questioned whether people who comment on women's bodies are simply seeking attention or attempting to build careers on social media. She said she generally avoids discussing other people's bodies and personal lives.

Chopra is preparing for her acting comeback with Netflix's upcoming psychological thriller 'Shaque: Trust No One'. She said she was pregnant while filming the series and praised its makers for supporting her throughout the production.

According to Chopra, conversations within the industry have largely remained focused on an actor's work rather than motherhood or appearance.

“I speak about the work that is being offered to me,” she said, adding that actors should be considered for their abilities, appearance and what they bring to a role.

Soni Razdan, who also stars in 'Shaque: Trust No One', similarly questioned society's fixation on women's changing appearances.

Razdan referred to Sarah Jessica Parker and the criticism women face as they age, have children or no longer look the way they did when they were younger.

“There is such a thing as aging, growing old, having a baby, and all kinds of things,” Razdan said.

'Shaque: Trust No One' is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on September 24.