MITHILA PALKAR
Actor
“I was a carefree child…I don’t think beauty standards held any significance in my life back then. Beauty, for me, was the comfort and charm with which my grandmother carried herself—I have seen her walk past full-length mirrors and just admire herself through all of her ages, shapes, and sizes. And she has had a big influence on me, and my confidence and inspiration comes from my grandmother.
As for my definition of beauty, it has largely remained unchanged over the years. In my opinion, something that makes somebody smile with all their heart is what makes a person beautiful.
While my immediate circle was free of prejudices, I do remember people commenting on other people’s skin tones and sizes. And I remember feeling conscious about my curly hair…probably because I was the only one in the family with curls, and I did not know how to take care of them. I have done the most bizarre things to straighten my hair—including using an actual iron!—and that ended up damaging it.
“I remember feeling conscious about my curly hair… probably because I was the only one in the family with curls, and I did not know how to take care of them.”
The shift in my attitude came about when I was studying mass media in college, and a friend of mine photographed me for a project. He was adamant that I let my curls be as they ‘add to my personality’. And slowly, as I learnt to be comfortable with my curls, I realised how unique they are.
I definitely feel that young girls and boys are fed information that leads to unrealistic expectations of how one should look. But, at the same time, I also believe that a wave of change is coming, thanks to people who are ushering in change and sparking conversations in a conscious effort to bring change.
We need to ensure that a certain type of hair, or skin tone, or size, should not be treated as the highest standard of beauty. We need to accept that beauty lies in diversity. We need to stop comparing and realise that we are all beautiful in our own ways. The more we value this thought, the sooner we will be able to change things for the better.”
AAHANA KUMRA
Actor
“Growing up, I had a warped definition of beauty. When I look back at my childhood, I cannot believe how misinformed I was, because that information was fed to me for years. But, at that time, there was no place for ‘real beauty’—women in magazines were Photoshopped to perfection, and, on TV, we hardly saw anyone flaunt their ‘flaws’. And when you see that on the daily, it becomes your idea of perfection, too.
Unfortunately, I was told by a lot of people that some of my features don’t fit the ideal definition of beauty, and that was hard. I was conscious of my nose as people always said that it was too long—I was told short, sharp noses are ideal. I had straight hair, but I was told that curls look better on me. I was tall and lanky, and I was constantly made aware of that fact. But then, I saw Meryl Streep and realised that she has a long nose, too. I never heard anyone talk about her nose…just her flawless performances. And that gave me the confidence to own my unique nose.
I also began accepting my body when I took to dancing—it really helped me come into my
