National Film Award-winning actress Manasi Parekh opened up about the pressures of unrealistic beauty standards and the growing trend of cosmetic enhancements. Speaking candidly on Sheroes, a special chat show by The Free Press Journal, she acknowledged the advancements in cosmetic science but cautioned against using them as a means to seek societal validation.
“This is an age-old concern. Beauty and how a woman should look have been defined since the Victorian era. There has always been this imposition on women and they had to follow it at that point. Now that imposition is different because you are constantly facing a camera,” Manasi said.
She added that while cosmetic procedures can be liberating, they should not be used as a crutch.
“There are certain parts of yourself you don't like. Because science and technology is advanced and there are these amazing things that are happening cosmetically, people can alter anything which they don't like about themselves, which is great and liberating. But sometimes, it can also become a crutch...if you are feeling insecure about yourself, about some part of yourself which is not perfect according to society, then I am relying on validation from society and that too about my security. That thought is wrong,” the actress added.
Manasi said at the end it is an individual's personal choice. “Whether I do something cosmetically to enhance myself, that's my choice. But I am doing because I want to feel validated, that thought is risky,” she mentioned.
As a mother, she also shared her hopes for raising a confident daughter in the age of social media. “I want to make sure I make her secure as an individual where her security doesn't come from a physical appearance, her body, or her face. Her security should come from the fact that she is a capable woman.”
Concluding with her core belief, Manasi said, “So my philosophy is 'This is me, I accept myself'. If you don't accept me the way I am, it's your issue.”
