Somlata performs at event on menstrual hygiene and body positivity

Singer Somlata Acharyya Chowdhury had a packed house show at a south Kolkata club recently. Her band, Somlata And The Aces, performed on the occasion of Menstrual Hygiene Day. "The organising foundation sensitises people, especially women and young girls, on the need for menstrual hygiene. They work with underprivileged people from different rural and urban areas to educated them on the importance of staying clean.It was a show that also had my musical performance," she said.
When asked whether there was a particular song set for the occasion, Somlata said, "Not really. I had to sing some of the popular contemporary Bengali songs for which I get requests at every show of mine, including some of my songs. I also sang a few Rabindrasangeet and songs from the latest film, Mini."
The singer deeply cares for the cause of body positivity, which was also a part of the discussion at the event. When asked what message does she have for her fans struggling with body image or looking to embrace body positivity, Somlata said, "I believe it is an important part of most people's growing up years. We do come across people who point out flaws in our bodies, tell us that we are fat, too tall, too short, skinny, too dark, or too fair. We all make such casual comments. When I was really young, one of my relatives would tell me I was found in a dustbin and brought home because I was the only one not as fair as my family members. And I believed in that for sometime but fortunately it didn't have any impact on me later. But even when said in jest, we don't know how is it going to impact a young, impressionable mind. So, we should be careful. Some people grow up with a huge detrimental effect on their identity because of receiving such comments in childhood. And that identity crisis hampers each of their adulthood relationships."