Exclusive: Sameera Reddy on body positivity, online trolling: I wasn't always this confident

Bollywood actress Sameera Reddy recentlycollaborated withTrent Ltd-owned fashion retailer Westsideas they launched the second edition of its Limitless campaign in Delhi. The actress was accompanied by social media influencerSakshi Sindwani at the launch event and together, they advocated body positivity andinclusivity of all body shapes and sizes.

The two divas engaged in a riveting conversation about their personal struggles around body image and shared how theychallengedsociety’s conventional expectations of what women should look like. The objective of the campaign was to create a community where everyone could express themselves and be true to who they are.

While speaking exclusively to WION, Reddy opened upabout self-love, and body positivity, and shared personal anecdotes about body image.

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Revealing why she decided to collaborate with Westside, Sameera said, "I have been wearing clothes from Westside for quite a while now. As I had gained a lot of weight after giving birth, I was looking for clothes that would fit me and look good as well. So I discovered Westside as they had a huge range of sizes, unlike several international brands that hardly had clothes in my size. So when I decided to collaborate with Westside, I wanted to have a real conversation around inclusivity and how we can empower women to look and feel good and be comfortable in their own skin."

Sharing how she found the confidence to be true to herself in reels without the fear of judgement and to embrace her grey hair and gained weight, Reddy said, "Well, it was a process. I wasn't always this confident." After taking a pause, she added, "I got very disassociated with the pressure of what was expected of me, or the way I looked. And, I realised after giving birth that I can't keep chasing a certain body type and follow diets that will not make me feel healthy."

"The tipping point I would say was when I became a mom and my body changed drastically. I just wanted to be myself. I realised one day that I cannot live up to people's expectations anymore. It was exhausting."

When asked about online trolling and how she deals with it, Reddy said, "To be honest, I do not feel that I am trolled much online. I am very proud of my Insta tribe and the community I have created. It's not about the quantity but the quality of followers I have."

"Personally, I could have a very big PR team but I don't. I am the only person who handles my social media account. And, when a troll gets an intellectual answer back, they usually refrain from making such comments again. And, I also feel that one has to understand that if someone is saying something bitter or making useless comments, they might be in a different phase of their life, where they feel that it is okay to do that. And, we can't change or help that. But then it's their revolution to understand."