‘When did stretch marks become negative?’: Parineeti Chopra calls post-pregnancy trolling ‘absolutely illiterate’

Parineeti Chopra spoke out against body scrutiny after childbirth, labelled trolling as illiterate, and championed acceptance of postpartum changes.

Bollywood actor Parineeti Chopra welcomed her son, Neer, in 2025 and is now set to make her web series debut with Shaque: Trust No One. The series also marks her first project after becoming a mother. In a recent interview with Zoom, Parineeti called out the growing tendency to scrutinise women’s bodies after childbirth, describing the trolling as “absolutely illiterate”.

Parineeti Chopra talks about postpartum trolling. (PTI)

Parineeti Chopra on post-partum trolling of women

Parineeti said she finds the trolling of female actors after pregnancy “absolutely illiterate”. She also questioned the expectations placed on women after childbirth. She pointed out that people readily accept physical changes as signs of other experiences. For instance, if someone develops abs, it is assumed they have been working out at the gym, while a tan may suggest they have spent time on a beach holiday. However, she questioned why the physical changes that come with pregnancy and childbirth are viewed differently.

She added, “So when you look at a woman, you're like, ‘Oh my God, did you have a baby?’ And she's like, ‘Yeah, look at my stretch marks. I just had a baby,' and I'm like, ‘Wow, congrats. How is your baby?’ Right? How has that turned negative? Who the hell are you to tell a postpartum woman, ‘Abhi tumko 6 mahina ho gaya baby hue, abhi tum wapas aa jao’? I find it so illiterate.”

Deep Dive

Why are postpartum bodies often scrutinized in the media?

How does Parineeti Chopra feel about her stretch marks after having a baby?

What was Parineeti Chopra's reaction to postpartum trolling?

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Parineeti further said, “I look at my stretch marks like, ‘Oh my God, you know why I have the stretch marks? I made a baby.’ I find it so beautiful. How and when did that stretch mark or any change in your body become negative? It's bizzare to me. Please live your life and just ignore these uneducated people. I think the "velle log (people with nothing better to do)" are not women.”

She also questioned why female actors are trolled for taking on certain kinds of messy roles after marriage, while the same is rarely questioned when male actors do so.

Recently, Katrina Kaif was body-shamed on social media over her post-pregnancy weight gain. The actor, who gave birth to her son in November last year, was spotted at the Ambani family’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebration. Videos of her from the event surfaced online, with several people commenting on her appearance. Several Bollywood actors came out in support of Katrina, criticising the trolls. Most recently, Salman Khan also backed her and hit back at those commenting on her post-pregnancy weight gain during Bigg Boss 20.

About Parineeti Chopra’s upcoming show

Parineeti will next be seen in Shaque: Trust No One. Created by Rensil D’Silva and Siddharth P. Malhotra, the series also stars Jennifer Winget, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Soni Razdan, Anup Soni, Sumeet Vyas and Harleen Sethi in key roles.

The show follows a mother whose baby goes missing and her nine-year search for answers. As she gets closer to the truth, secrets begin to emerge, raising questions about trust, relationships and how well we really know the people closest to us. Shaque: Trust No One is scheduled to release on Netflix on September 24.