Body shaming is so outdated & inappropriate: Sreenanda Shankar

On Friday, danseuse and actor Sreenanda Shankar posted a video on social media addressing trolls. When we asked her the reason during a quick chat, she revealed that she wanted to answer the nepotism allegations and body shaming she often faces on social media. Highlights from the chat:

I’m a mother not only to my dogs, but also to my mother and husband. This nurturing aspect of my personality is content and fulfilled even without a child. So, I find it amusing when I see comments asking me about motherhood

Coming from an illustrious family, I’m constantly compared to my famous relatives. Netizens wonder why I can’t be like them, and so on. I share my life on social media to present myself as an individual, separate from my family’s accomplishments. But they still seem to have an issue

Trolls can be amusing, and I usually choose not to respond. But this time, I did, as it was going out of hand. Some comments truly amaze me! Occasionally, I come up with a humorous reply too. My advice to trolls is to engage in productive activities and focus on creating happiness in their own lives

I’ve come to accept that my family’s legacy will always be a part of me. But being famous doesn’t equate to being happy. I fulfil my responsibilities and run the school alongside my mother with utmost passion. I also engage in shows and select acting work I truly enjoy. If I become known, it will be because I’ve lived life on my own terms

On using a mix of Bangla and English while speaking
People tend to forget that my family doesn’t just represent Bengal, but the entire country. My grandfather, father, and my mother did not grow up in Bengal; they moved there later in life. Moreover, I create content for the entire nation, so expecting me to speak exclusively in Bengali is peculiar. Recently, I made a video with my mother, which went viral. In the video, she visited my house in Mumbai just after Poila Boishakh, and I prepared a five-course Bengali meal. We had a wonderful adda, and our conversations made the video truly special. Some people trolled me for not speaking exclusively in Bengali, but nobody acknowledged the fact that I single-handedly cooked an entire Bengali meal! This reveals their hypocrisy.