Cinema and fashion industry is a tough place, especially for women who don’t fit the conventional standards of beauty. It’s not a secret that most female actors lose out on work once they cross a certain age. They are judged based on their physical appearance and popularity. Sameera Reddy faced something similar but instead of giving in to the pressure, she’s embracing herself.
In an empowering Instagram post, Reddy wrote, “Was I ‘still’ sexy Sam? Can I now be branded a ‘yummy mummy’? How many followers did I have? Was my worth still valid? Was I now a ‘Former’ actress? Just a ‘Mother’? Bollywood friends I can ‘plug’ in selfies? This was April 2019. I was coming back from a long break from the public eye and was asked these questions by an industry person as to what image was I going to project?? I had resurfaced after struggling with Postpartum Depression after Hans, lots of weight on me, self worth issues, a major emotional struggle, and confusion with where I stood in my own mind. A career girl was now ‘just a mother’. Lost. So I surrendered. I remember telling Akshai, I can’t hide. I can’t lie to myself. I struggle. I’m as scared as anyone else out there. I don’t have a plan. All I know is I want to own it and have any other woman feel she can too. Own her flaws, her scars, her struggles, her weight, her losing battles, her low self worth, her grey hair, her hair loss, her cellulite, her pimples, her age, her pain, her expectations. And that’s #imperfectlyperfect. Many of my posts aim to remind people that accepting and loving yourself is the most powerful tool to achieve a positive space. And I’m so grateful to have our community of amazing women and men who want change, who seek a real space, who know there is a place for everyone and we don’t need to pull each other down to survive. The past year has only taught me that the truth does set you free. We’re all in this together. #imperfectlyperfect”
Earlier she also shared a video on being kind to our bodies and not stressing out about our physical appearance.
