Katrina Kaif was heavily trolled and body-shamed over her post-pregnancy appearance during the Ambani family's Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Social media was full of body-shaming and trolling comments, with some even comparing her then-and-now pictures.
While several celebrities, including Salman Khan, spoke out against the trolling, actor Richa Chadha has now called out those who target female actors over their bodies, particularly after motherhood.
In a conversation with India Today, Richa, who became a mother in 2024, defended female actors who face scrutiny over their physical appearance after having children. She said the film industry generally respects women balancing motherhood and their careers. The problem lies with people who use social media to criticise celebrities.
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Richa Chadha Hits Back At Trolls
Citing Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, Rani Mukerji and Sonali Bendre, she said the industry has been respectful of women who continue to work after motherhood.
She said, “See, I don't think women should listen to anybody commenting on their body. The industry is very respectful of women who have babies and who have careers. All the fantastic actresses from Madhuri to Juhi Chawla to Rani Mukherjee, Sonali Bendre. I don't think it's the industry.”
The actor went on to criticise people who target female celebrities, questioning why the media gives such comments attention.
“It's the common man of India who is ugly and balding and has a disgusting paunch who thinks that commenting on Katrina Kaif or Aishwarya Rai is somehow making his life better. It's so funny. I find it really useless, and I honestly do think that it deserves much less space even in media discourse,” she added.
“They Are Losers, They Deserve To Be Ignored”
Richa also pointed to social media's anonymity, saying it has encouraged people to post hurtful comments about celebrities, including former Miss World and Miss Universe contestants, without considering their achievements.
Richa said, “Industry is not like this. It's common people emboldened by the anonymity of social media. Who think that they have hit the jackpot by leaving anonymous comments. They are beggars in their lives.”
“They think that they can talk about people who are like Miss World and Miss Universe. Like we owe them something. That's not how the world works. They are just losers, and they deserve to be ignored,” she concluded.
Katrina Kaif Breaks Silence On Online Trolling
Katrina has also addressed the online trolling and body-shaming she faced. Speaking at a Kay Beauty event in London, the actor urged people not to let social media opinions dictate their self-worth.
“I think we really need to be careful of letting the narrative on social media affect our self-worth and our value, because there are so many opinions out there that if we're going to start trying to cater to all of them, I think it really hampers your ability to make choices for yourself,” Katrina said.
Sharing how she deals with criticism online, Katrina said she chooses to ignore negative comments rather than allow them to influence her decisions.
“If I let that dictate my actions, I think I would have been paralysed with fear, unable to move ahead in my life or any sphere of life,” she added.
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