Anjali Anand, the television actress who portrayed Gayatri Randhawa, Ranveer Singh's sister in 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani', has opened up about her journey in the entertainment industry.
As a plus-sized actress, Anjali has been the target of hurtful stereotypes and body shaming, even as she made her mark with hit TV shows like 'Dhai Kilo Rem' and 'Kulfi Kumar Bajewala' before her cinematic debut under Karan Johar's direction.
ANJALI RECALLS PEOPLE FAT-SHAMING HER
Recalling her early days in the industry, Anjali shared that when she first enrolled in acting school a decade ago, she faced discouragement from people who doubted her potential.
They asserted that she would never be cast as a lead but only as a best friend character, perpetuating the stereotype of overweight characters eating burgers all the time. However, Anjali remained determined to prove her critics wrong and break free from such limiting expectations.
Her breakthrough as the lead in "Kulfi Kumar Bajewala" should have been a moment of celebration for her success, but instead, it became an opportunity for some to unleash their bigotry.
Anjali revealed that she received hundreds of demeaning direct messages questioning how a 'fat girl' could land a lead role without compromising her integrity. Such comments insinuated that she must have exchanged sexual favors to secure her position, a deeply offensive and baseless assumption.
She revealed people saying, "Who gives a fat girl a second show as lead? I'm sure she must be sleeping with somebody."
Refusing to be silenced, Anjali boldly questioned the prevalence of such regressive mindsets in the industry. "It is stupid that we are still talking about all of this."
ANJALI SAYS SHE IS MUCH MORE THAN HER APPEARANCE
Anjali's role as Gayatri in 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' has been garnering widespread appreciation.
As Gayatri, she stands up against her family's hurtful nickname 'Golu', which had long attacked her self-confidence. For Anjali, the portrayal of this character provided an opportunity to challenge these stereotypes head-on and expose the ignorance behind them.
In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Anjali emphasized that she is more than her appearance and body size, and she refuses to be limited by others' shallow judgments.
She firmly believes in her talent, intent, and what she brings to the table, proving that true success in the entertainment industry should be based on skills, dedication, and hard work, not physical appearances.
