Neha Dhupia, who tied the knot with boyfriend Angad Bedi on May 10th, 2018 gave birth to their daughter Mehr Dhupia Bedi in December last year. Ever since her pregnancy began, the actress has been targeted on social media for her weight. After she gave birth, the trolls became meaner. From comparing Neha to Angad’s ex, Nora Fatehi to making crass comments about her being overweight, they did it all. While Neha didn’t take it lying down and slammed her trollers, in a recent interview, her husband, Angad Bedi also spoke up about how women like Neha should be celebrated and not bullied online.
“We all know the process… a woman who is expecting goes through a lot of bodily changes. In fact, during the postpartum period, many mothers don’t feel attached towards her newborn. So during such times they are quite sensitive and require special care. Still, there are people who don’t think twice before making hurtful comments about how a mother looks. I fail to understand what satisfaction they get out of body shaming others,” Angad Bedi told a leading newspaper.
He went on to add that his wife doesn’t want to compromise on her health, and her happiness has nothing to do with her weight, “But it takes time. She can’t compromise on her health more so when she is also breastfeeding… Those who fat-shame I want to tell them being happy has nothing to do with bodyweight but how one leads his or her life. Neha is a strong woman; she has got back to work and is also taking care of her child. Women like her should be celebrated.” What a sweet thing to say!
In a series of tweets, Neha also stated that she doesn’t owe any explanation to the society and is making these decisions for herself, “I don’t owe anyone an explanation because fat-shaming like this doesn’t bother me one bit. But I do want to address this as a larger problem because fat-shaming needs to stop for EVERYONE and not just celebs.”
“As a new mom, I want to be fit, healthy and energetic for my daughter. So I work out every day, sometimes twice a day because for me… ‘Fitness’ is a priority and not ‘fitting into’ society’s standards regarding looks,” she added.
To take the discussion of the taboos that surround new mothers further, Neha Dhupia began an initiative called Freedom To Feed. This social media movement focuses on the lack of facilities provided for new mothers to breastfeed at public places. Her hashtag has caught on like wildfire and has garnered support from mothers in Bollywood like Soha Ali Khan, Sameera Reddy and Pragya Yadav.
Don’t let the haters bring you down, Neha!
Featured Image: Instagram
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