'Scrutiny Is Part Of My Profession...': Gouri Kishan Shares Statement About Body-Shaming Incident

A couple of days ago, a video of Tamil actress Gouri Kishan went viral on social media in which she was seen slamming a vlogger for asking a body-shaming question. On Saturday, the actress shared a statement about the whole scenario on Instagram.

Her statement read, "During a press conference earlier this week, an exchange took place between myself and a YouTube vlogger that became unexpectedly tense. I believe it is important to acknowledge the broader issue behind it so that we can collectively reflect on the kind of relationship we want to encourage between artists and the media (sic)."

She further wrote that as a public figure, she understands that scrutiny is part of her profession. "However, comments or questions-direct or indirect-that target a person's body or appearance are inappropriate in any context. I wish I had been asked questions about the film-the work I was there for. I cannot help but wonder if they would ask a male actor the same, in the same aggressive tone. I am grateful for being able to stand my ground in a difficult situation, it was important not only for myself but for anyone who has faced the same. This is not new but still prevalent-normalising body shaming in jest, while perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards. I hope this will be a reminder to anyone who has felt this way that we are allowed to speak up. We are allowed to express our discomfort, question when wronged, and work towards stopping this cycle (sic)," the statement further read.

The actress in her statement wrote that she wants to be clear that this is not an invitation to target or harass any individual. "Let's use this moment instead to move forward with greater empathy, sensitivity, and respect on all sides (sic)," she wrote.

Gouri thanked the Chennai Press Club, AMMA Association (Malayalam Film Industry), and South India Nadigar Sangam for their statements regarding the incident.

"Thank you to the press and media, and to the public for your unwavering support. Thank you to everyone in the industry who has reached out and stood in solidarity-to my contemporaries, colleagues, and friends. Only love, Gouri (sic)," she concluded the statement.

Many celebs from Kollywood supported Gouri and slammed the vlogger for his question. According to reports, the vlogger during the press conference of the movie Others asked actor Aditya Mahadevan if it was difficult for him to carry Gouri in a scene during the film because of her weight.