4 min learnNew DelhiJul 30, 2026 11:00 PM IST
For an actor celebrated at this time for her daring selections and confident display screen presence, Vidya Balan’s early years within the movie trade had been crammed with doubt, criticism, and deep insecurity.
In an interview, Vidya once opened up about how exterior strain and inner battle affected her emotionally and bodily. She shared:
“What individuals don’t perceive about weight—however what I’ve understood via my work with my healer through the years—is weight can also be safety. Once you really feel insecure, quite a lot of occasions you placed on weight.”
The Emmy-nominated actor, who made her Bollywood debut with Parineeta at age 26, revealed that being instructed she wasn’t “younger sufficient” for sure roles had a long-lasting impression on her vanity.
DISCLAIMER: This text relies on info from the general public area and/or the consultants we spoke to.
“With Parineeta, which was a interval movie the place I used to be taking part in a lady… everybody then instructed me, ‘No, however you must have the ability to do the youthful roles if you’d like an extended profession.’ I used to be already a lady—I used to be 26—I a minimum of felt like one,” she stated on the One thing Larger Present by Rodrigo Canelas.
Attempting to evolve to what the trade anticipated from “youthful actresses” didn’t come naturally to her. “Now, for me to make myself into a lady, behave youthful, gown youthful, it didn’t really feel pure. It didn’t work for me.”
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The general public and media started to choose aside all the things about her: how she appeared, dressed, and carried herself. “Really, individuals began criticising all the things about me then, and now I really feel like, oh my god, perhaps my success is short-lived. So I feel all of that made me very insecure and sad. And I used to be additionally gaining weight.”
Finally, Vidya had a breakthrough: “That’s after I stated, ‘ what am I attempting to do? It’s important to do what’s best for you.’”
What psychology says about physique picture, insecurity, and self-worth
Priyamvada Tendulkar, a counselling psychologist, explains that destructive self-talk round physique picture is never nearly look; it’s rooted in a lot deeper beliefs.
“Detrimental self-talk about bodily look is deeply ingrained in societal conditioning, previous experiences, and private insecurities,” she says. “It might erode self-worth, resulting in emotions of disgrace, avoidance behaviors, or extreme preoccupation with perceived flaws.”
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Tendulkar emphasises that self worth ought to by no means be conditional: “Your price is inherent and never tied to exterior validation or aesthetic beliefs. Fairly will not be the lease it’s essential to pay to exist on this world as a feminine.”
Tendulkar outlines a number of instruments that may assist anybody who struggles with their look or self-image. As a substitute of asking “How do I look?”—ask “How do I really feel in my physique at this time?”
“Enable your self to be,” Tendulkar provides, “simply as you lengthen that proper to others.”
Balan’s choice to cease chasing approval and begin honouring her fact reshaped her profession and her inside life. As a substitute of shrinking herself to suit trade expectations, she started to take up area as she was.
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From Kahaani to Tumhari Sulu and Sherni, her characters are actually emblematic of empowered womanhood. However her journey to that time was crammed with inside battles, ones she selected to face as a substitute of suppress.
DISCLAIMER: This text relies on info from the general public area and/or the consultants we spoke to.
