Exclusive - I was fat-shamed and bullied in college, says Choti Sardarni’s Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia

Choti Sardarni’s Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia aka Meher in an exclusive live chat with ETimes TV opened up about being fat-shamed and bullied in her college days. The actress also revealed some harsh truth about how she was called out in her family for her dusky complexion. (By: Sukarna Mondal)

I do understand the fact that this industry is very brutal. I am a complete feminist. And no matter how much you talk about not being affected with what other people comment about size, colour and no matter how many discussions happen, everybody gets subjected to some sort of criticism. Even though celebrities or activists talk about it, there are people who will always pass comment at some given point of time. I won’t call it criticism but there’s something which has played in my head when I was participating in Miss India.

I have broad shoulders and my body frame is not petite. And this is something I would sometimes feel weird about because even if I was my thinnest, I wasn’t petite. I would look anorexic. And despite all this, I didn’t feel skinny enough to be in the modelling space. Moments like these have happened.

The sad part is, this image is in not only limited to this industry. I remember in 12th standard, I had developed the habit of eating all the time. I felt pressurised with studies and board exams. I put on around 23kg and weighed 78kg. After that I went to college and it didn’t change my outlook. I was confident.

In first year of my Law school I was bullied. I was fat-shamed by the girls in my hostel and batchmates. It was humiliating as a teenager. I was naïve and it played with my mind. I thought I am not pretty enough because I am fat. It built up a lot of complexes in me.

I have a lovely family but I also know of instances that when you are born in Punjabi family, I was made to believe that you are supposed to be fair. That’s how most Punjabi girls are. And I was dusky. I remember in a family full of fair female cousins, I was compared to them – the duskier girl in the lot.

At different stages in life a lot of this has happened. I auditioned for Choti Sardarni in February and three months later I signed it. At this point of time I realised my features are not meant for TV. Like even in modelling industry if you are not 5’9, you are not considered to be a model. I don’t blame them. It is the criteria or may be the requirement in that particular space. On TV I would find most girls are very fair, big eyes, big lips and very petite and skinny. And I am complete opposite to that.

I am happy about the fact that I have broken all these barriers in my head. No matter how I look it hasn’t stopped. Beauty is very subjective. No matter how you look you will always be attractive in someone’s eyes. I remember in college I was dating a guy and he found me attractive when I was 78kg. What matters is what you feel from within and if you have the courage to pursue what you dream.

There are many female fans going through this. I want to tell them that it doesn’t matter how you look. What matters is how you feel and what thoughts you carry. It’s your confidence, your personality and so much more. There are people who will always criticise you.