Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has stepped back — into the limelight and also the glaring appraisal of her weight gain post delivery. Over the last fortnight some leading news channels, news papers and websites have been running stories on how Aishwarya has ‘let herself loose’ (loose with pun intended - on her fans, media and scores of girls who see her as an inspiration). I am horrified watching and reading this. I have strong reasons for this : 

1) In talking about Aishwarya’s weight and her overflowing dresses, we are completely doing away with the fact that she doesn’t need to be in the shape we want her to be. We are taking away her independence to be what she is. Has Aishwarya spoken or endorsed anything related to being slim and or being curvy? Has she argued that she hasn’t gained weight? Has she duped her advertising/business partners by not delivering what she promised? Have we got any news about the Bachchan family being upset about Aishwarya’s weight gain?   None of the above. Why must we go after her about her weight? She has just become a mother. About five months back. Almost everyone knows it wasn’t an easy pregnancy for her. So, why are we being graceless towards the lady who is hands down the most popular female Indian export to the world?

2) By constantly talking about her weight, we are also negating the fact that Aishwarya on the contrary is extremely comfortable in her current avatar. At least that’s what I make out from her appearances. She is touching 39 and has been an A lister brand for two decades - the longest for any indian actress/female model. If she is comfortable being who she is and has evolved from being a model, to an actress, to a wife and now a mother — why should we stay hung over her past and not accept her in her present shape when she does. More importantly, by talking about her weight in the manner its being done- we are also demotivating millions of overweight people or women who battle with post pregnancy fat. Imagine the amount of motivation such women can receive on seeing Aishwarya in her present avatar - calm, collected.
 
3) At a time when we are celebrating the voluptousness of Vidya Balan in The Dirty Picture, isn’t it ironic that we are debunking Aishwarya for being overweight? While one does concede that the Malaikas and Amritas of the world lost post pregnancy weight very soon, the truth is they perhaps needed to do so much more than Ash. Her career is not about doing item songs, making appearances at P3 parties in skimpiest of the dresses or based entirely (only) on her body. As someone who has consistently been an over achiever, we should let Ash be in her space. After all, name one heroine in Bollywood who had the courage to take on all the 3 Khans and still survive in the industry on her own terms. Interestingly as we throw a tantrum about Aishwarya’s weight, her international brands stand firmly with her - be it L’Oreal or Longines. When the ones who have put in their money on the lady aren’t fretting, why are we?

4) For those saying that Aishwarya may not come be able to stage a comeback if she doesn’t lose her weight soon enough - let me just say — do we know for sure that wants to make a comeback right now? Are we also sure that if she does, she won’t lose weight? More importantly, are we sure that if she does decide to come back in her current avatar, no producer will cast her? As someone who has handled her career with a great deal of maturity and shrewdness, shouldn’t we let Aishwarya decide what she wants to do with her life. And why must there be a hulla boo about her comeback when perhaps all she wants to do is enjoy her motherhood.

5) By talking about Aishwarya’s weight, we have also sidelined all the successful people in the film and tv medium,  who have been overweight. Weight shouldn’t be a measure ofa woman’s success, talent and life especially if one is a new mother or is recovering from an illness or is struggling to over come weight issues. And for all the wisdom of those who ran the stories about Aishwarya’s weight — they were the ones who went crazy talking about Oprah when she came to India. But the last time I checked about her, she was overweight! Wasn’t she? And Happy too!

Source - Headlines Today