Being skinny was not the standard of beauty back in the 90s, says Sonali Bendre

Sonali Bendre discussed being body shamed in the film industry during her early career, in her latest interview. “Voluptuousness was the standard of beauty back then," the Bollywood actor observed.

Sonali Bendre told Bollywood Bubble, “Being skinny was not the standard of beauty in the 1990s; whereas, voluptuousness was. I was told you weren't a woman enough if you weren't voluptuous.”

Further, she added, that body-shaming should not be tolerated in our society, especially among young girls, “given the ideas they are exposed to and the extreme dieting that is prevalent. People forget that it's not holistic!”

Sonali Bendre is not the first celebrity to speak out against body shaming in the movie business. Madhuri Dixit previously discussed the issue, claiming that people had asked her to gain weight. “They thought I was too skinny, to begin with during my time. They used to say, ‘Yeh heroine, isko thoda mota karo’ (make this heroine gain weight).”

The Bollywood actor, also a cancer survivor, made her acting debut in the 1994 film Aag, which starred Govinda, Shilpa Shetty, and Shakti Kapoor. She was then known for her roles in Diljale (1996) and other popular films including Major Saab (1998), Zakhm (1998), Sarfarosh (1999), and Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999), among others. The actor, additionally, judged reality television shows like India's Best Dramebaaz, Hindustan Ke Hunarbaaz, India's Got Talent and Indian Idol. She was most recently seen on ZEE5's The Broken News, alongside Shriya Pilgaonkar and Jaideep Ahlawat.

Speaking about The Broken News, Sonali Bendre said she wouldn't call it a comeback. “I didn't go anywhere,” she added. The actor watched the adaptation of the 2018 British show Press, first to understand her character. “It helped me assess how the story progressed, but I enjoyed reading the script. Scripts can sometimes provide more information than watching something. The Broken News has been adapted for the Indian audience, and we tried to talk about things that are relevant to people.”

Directed by Vinay Waikul, the show is about how Indian news channels have opposing principles that lead to fierce rivalry. The Broken News was released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Bendre had to work hard to prepare for her role in The Broken News because it was her first OTT appearance. “I am neither a method actor, nor I go with the flow. It's a balance for me, and I'm learning every day on the sets,” she spoke of the process of preparing for a role. “I want to play strong roles with compelling stories; characters who believe in hope, stand up for what is right, and have layers. Being the lead actor has never been important to me. OTT represents a new phase and stage in my career. I'm looking forward to it with bated breath!”