Double XL trailer launch: Huma Qureshi and Sonakshi Sinha reveal, 'We faced a lot of body shaming for years'

The trailer of Double XL was launched on October 12. Present at the event were actors Huma Qureshi, Sonakshi Sinha, Zaheer Iqbal, director Satramm Ramani, one of its co-producers Saqib Saleem and others. Here’s what team Double XL shared with the media.

Huma, who has also turned producer with Double XL shares the reason to back a film like this that highlights the issue of body shaming. “The idea to make this movie started from my house quite literally. We all were chilling during the Covid peak and were eating too much. Due to the lockdown, gyms were shut too. I and Sonakshi were sulking about putting on weight and Mudassar Aziz shot an idea to make a film with both of us. If me and Sona would have said no, Double XL wouldn’t have been made,” she reveals.

She adds, “When I debuted in Gangs of Wasseypur and Sonakshi with Dabangg, we got a lot of love for our performances but few reviewers questioned our respective body weights. An actor’s job is to perform and connect with the audiences. I feel as women, we all are under constant pressure to look a certain way. Whenever I see the film or trailer, I get so emotional since there’s so much of me in the film.”

Sonakshi’s character aspires to become a fashion entrepreneur and hails from Delhi. She says, “My policy is we are beautiful in all sizes. I feel the way we base our confidence on the way we look is not okay. I was overweight as a kid and faced a lot of body shaming for years. Sometimes the third person doesn’t know about one's internal health issues. I played so many sports but was still overweight. I was proud of myself that I played such good sports.”

One-film-old Zaheer, who plays Zoravar in the film, throws some light on the acceptance of women's heavy bodies down South. “It's a good thing that it is being accepted there but it is also accepted here too. Even for men, there was a time when six pack abs were important to be on screen but times are changing. For this film, my director never asked me for it.”

To this Saqib jokingly reveals, “I have a slight paunch at the moment but I have been well accepted. Zaheer might have abs at the moment.”

On a parting note, director Satramm explains how his film is not preachy in any way. “When I wanted to narrate this story, educating people wasn’t in my mind since the moment you try to do that, audiences lose interest. Our writer Mudassar has written it well because he was on our page. We as a team don’t want to wave a flag rather spread the acceptance of being however you look,” he concludes.