Actor Anjali Anand reflects on battling stereotypes in Bollywood
What's the story
Actor Anjali Anand, known for her roles in Dhamaal 4 and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, recently opened up about the challenges she has faced due to her body type. In an interview with SCREEN, she revealed that she often gets offered roles that mock her weight. She also spoke about how her character in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was a departure from the usual portrayal of plus-size characters in Bollywood.
Body image issues
Anand revealed her experience with body shaming
Anand, who made her big-screen debut with Akshay Kumar's Bell Bottom, revealed that she was offered the role just so a terrorist could fall on her. "Such roles get offered to me because I am fat, and it hurts when people just try to make fun of it," she said. "They are not even seeing if I am a good actor or not."
Breaking stereotypes
How 'Rocky Aur Rani...' broke the stereotype
In Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Anand's character stood up against body shaming. She said it was a refreshing change from the usual portrayal of fat characters as comic relief. "Earlier, a fat girl was just a fat girl in a film, who was only eating large portions of food," she shared. "Nobody had seen a fat person having a voice."
Dual reality
Her thoughts on private life and weight
Anand further added, "In real life, Anjali has never needed to take that stand; no one has the guts to come and tell me anything. Nobody sees my weight first." "In my private life, people just praise me for the person I am. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani changed the industry's approach, but that also put me in a box, which I tried to change with Dabba Cartel and Raat Jawan Hai."
Trolling
Backlash for 'Dhamaal 4'
Anand is currently facing backlash for her role in Dhamaal 4, which has several fat-shaming jokes. Responding to the criticism, she said, "People often say that to me, that how can you do a film like this when you are so vocal and stand against people making fun of somebody." "But this is the society; people are still making fun of me after I have proven myself." "People are still trolling me online. Until society changes, scripts won't change."