However, recently, Sara shared an old video of herself on Instagram. And while she appeared to be playing a fun prank on her friends in the video, the accompanying caption reeked of fat-shaming. 

Presenting Sara ka Sara Sara 💁🏻‍♀️ Let’s make ‘light’ of what it was… Let’s also make it lighter than what it was.

Dear Sara, while your fitness journey is nothing short of inspirational, being ‘fat’ is not a source of humor. 

Being overweight can be a health risk. It can be the result of hormonal condition, which you are well aware of, since you have openly and courageously talked about your battle with PCOD. It can be the result of a lifestyle choice. But being fat is not funny, humorous, or comical. 

Even though your comment was targeted at your own self, it did contribute to the culture of body-shaming. Just because humor is self-deprecating in nature, does not absolve it of the larger role it plays in contributing to a hurtful culture. 

I’m sure you felt that playing on the word ‘sara’ and ‘lighter’ was a clever wordplay. And indeed, it was. But the wordplay also helped reinforce the belief that people’s body weight is a thing to be commented upon. Worse still, to be ridiculed and joked about. And that’s not okay. It never was. 

Ideally, no one should indulge in body-shaming. But, it is important to understand that when you hold a public position, your opinions, views, and comments are reaching out to a large audience. And while constantly living under the public glare can be challenging, it does come with a responsibility. 

A responsibility to not contribute to a culture where being fat is a comical element – a fact that most Bollywood movies have reinforced time after time.  

One can continue on their journey to be healthier and fitter, without hating on or ridiculing their unhealthy self. In the current day and age when people are finally embracing the idea of body positivity, fat-shaming–even in the form of self-deprecation–is really something we could do away with.