Shehnaaz Gill recalls being trolled for her weight and called ‘unpadh gawaar’ for her diction in Bigg Boss

Shehnaaz Gill became a household name and breakout star after entering Bigg Boss 13, where host Salman Khan famously introduced her as "Punjab ki Katrina Kaif".

Shehnaaz Gill introduced herself as ‘Punjab ki Katrina Kaif’ when she first appeared on reality show Bigg Boss 13 in 2019. Soon after the show ended, she earned a massive fan following with countless fanclubs rooting for her on social media. The actor opened up about the Bigg Boss journey in the latest episode of the Male Feminist podcast where she shared how she was also trolled for her body weight and diction.

Shehnaaz Gill opened up about getting trolled during her stint in Bigg Boss 13.

What Shehnaaz said

During the interaction, Shehnaaz recalled, "I used to get really trolled during Bigg Boss. For my body and my language, which later became my strength but then I was called unpadh, gawar (illiterate, stupid). I had this Punjabi touch, and after I came out of Bigg Boss, I showed them that it’s not a big deal to drop some weight. Seriously speaking, sometimes when I put on weight, I feel very proud. I feel like, ‘It’s okay. If you have put on four or five kgs, Shehnaaz, that’s okay.’ The changes are visible and it is upto us. If you are comfortable in your body and feel that you look good like this, it’s okay.”

'What does the world even want?’

She went on to add, “I don’t know why we all have to have an hourglass figure. Everyone is different. If someone starts a trend that healthier bodies are better, then that trend will take on but someone has to start it too. During Ishqnama, my director told me to gain some weight so that my face looks fuller. When I would lose my weight in the shoot, he would tell my make-up designer not to contour my face. When I watched my film, I looked a little golu molu. I said, ‘Oh my God, how sexy I look! When I lose a little weight, people say, ‘Why did you lose weight? It doesn’t look good.’ When I put on weight, they say, ‘You have become fat. You should work on yourself,’ and I say, ‘Excuse me, what does the world even want?’ If you are not facing any issues with your health, then everything is okay.”

About her career

Shehnaaz initially rose to fame in the Punjabi entertainment industry before gaining widespread recognition for her appearance on Bigg Boss 13 and her closeness with late actor Sidharth Shukla. She transitioned to Bollywood with her debut in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, alongside Salman Khan, Pooja Hegde, Venkatesh Daggubati, and Bhumika Chawla in 2013.

She also featured in Thank You For Coming, featuring Bhumi Pednekar, Dolly Singh, Kusha Kapila, and Shibani Bedi, premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). She also appeared in the music video for the song Sajna Ve Sajna from the 2024 film Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, which starred Triptii Dimri and Rajkummar Rao.