Pakistani actor Ali Zafar slams Katrina Kaif's post-pregnancy body-shaming, asks men to self-reflect: ‘Let her live’

Ali Zafar emphasised the importance of self-reflection for men regarding unrealistic beauty standards, urging kindness and compassion towards others.

Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif welcomed her son, Vihaan, with her husband, Vicky Kaushal, in November last year. The actor, who has largely stayed out of the limelight since embracing motherhood, recently made a rare public appearance with Vicky at Mukesh and Nita Ambani's Ganpati celebration. Her appearance sparked online discussion, with several users sharing her before-and-after pregnancy photos and commenting on her looks. Now, her Mere Brother Ki Dulhan co-star, Pakistani actor Ali Zafar, has come out in her support.

Ali Fazal defends Katrina Kaif amid body-shaming.

Ali Zafar slams trolls body-shaming Katrina Kaif

A video of Ali speaking about the recent social media discussion around his former Bollywood co-star Katrina Kaif's appearance has surfaced online. He said he had come across several posts and comments comparing how Katrina looked earlier with how she looks now. The actor-singer added that he has been speaking against such trolling for years, including when his Pakistani colleagues Mahira Khan and others were targeted.

He added, "We all need to look within ourselves. Especially as a man, if I am speaking about this, I think it is very important for us to look within ourselves and make the necessary corrections. We have all made mistakes in life; no one is perfect. But it is important to recognise those mistakes and correct them. But if we talk man to man, the privilege we assume comes with being a man, and the way we perceive a woman, her body, the way she thinks and the way she lives — if she does not fit the standards that we have created, we immediately put that woman down."

Ali further spoke about unrealistic beauty standards and said, "This is wrong; this is not the right way to look at things. Every person is going through their own struggles, and we do not know what someone else might be dealing with. So, we should be kind to people, compassionate, understanding, accepting and appreciative. If you study the renaissance, in the earlier era, concepts about women's bodies were different. Then came a time when women were expected to have a zero figure, and even towards men, the expectations about six-pack abs are not realistic. They are not healthy. It's not healthy to always criticise other people. They are all human beings and we have the potential to be nice to each other."

The actor and singer concluded, "We all have a past. I will feel ashamed if I ever criticise someone on the basis of their looks. We all must look inside and, as men, we should correct ourselves that we shouldn't do this. Every woman has their life, what she has gone through, what her past, present or future, let her live, and you live your life."

Ali's comments come after social media users body-shamed Katrina following her recent public appearances. One user criticised her look, writing, "I can't tolerate this look of Katrina." Katrina had also faced body-shaming after she was spotted at filmmaker Kuku Kohli's prayer meet in August. Actor Shivaleeka Oberoi came out in support of Katrina and questioned the criticism surrounding her post-pregnancy appearance. She wrote, "Kya ho gaya hai (What happened) means?! This is Motherhood!"

About Ali Zafar's Bollywood stint

Ali Zafar made his Bollywood debut with Tere Bin Laden in 2010, where his comic performance as a struggling news reporter won him attention in India. He followed it with films such as Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011), London, Paris, New York (2012), and Chashme Baddoor (2013). A singer-songwriter before becoming an actor, Zafar also brought his musical talent to several of his Hindi films. His songs, including Ullu Da Pattha, Madhubala and Nahi Re Nahi, further established him as a musician-actor in Bollywood.

Ali's Bollywood career was subsequently affected by the strained India-Pakistan political climate. Following the 2016 Uri attack, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena called for a ban on Pakistani artistes working in India.