Is It Really Ash’s DUTY to Be Thin?
Last month, Aishwarya Rai was slammed for her weight gain, with many saying it’s her ‘duty’ to drop kilos before Cannes. Fair or not? Two readers ‘weigh’ in...
NO!
Angel Bedi, Student, 22
“Some of us are born with the ‘b*tch gene’, and nothing makes us happier than to see a star crumble. In Ash’s case, we got our kicks from attacking her post-baby pudge, and watching before-after videos of her with an elephant soundtrack (the snide video got over 4,50,000 hits!) We seem to have forgotten that behind the cameras, she is just another new mom trying to enjoy (presumably hectic) motherhood. Would we be okay being attacked in a similar way? Yep, thought not. So let’s just pipe down and let Mrs Jr. B be. She gets my vote for being human and not obsessed with being a Size Zero. Plus, she’s doing a great job of giving non-skinny girls fab wardrobe choices with the Cavalli kaftans and the Elie Saab gown she wore at Cannes.”
YES!
Tanushree Prabhakar, Researcher, 23
“It may seem odd to some that Aishwarya’s weight gain is such a big deal, but I believe it’s a wake-up call. The ‘most beautiful women in the world’ title comes with responsibilities, whether image or lifestyle-related. And when you have the power to influence at such a grand scale, an ‘I don’t care’ attitude isn’t cool. Ash needs to realise that her postpregnancy pudge isn’t healthy—it isn’t just a couple of kilos on her hips that we’re talking about! No one’s asking her to diet till she drops or even get her erstwhile figure back. But the least she can do is be a positive role model and reach a healthy size that doesn’t pose health risks. As Aishwarya herself said, ‘An actor is in a open eye, there will be opinions’.”