Smriti Irani: Important for me to talk about body image issues

Draped in an elegant saree, Smriti Irani made a graceful return to the runway at Bombay Times Fashion Week. Fresh off the ramp, she told Mumbai Mirror, "I've always believed that a saree is not limiting for a woman. It is graceful, it carries a piece of our history. It is something that brings a lot of dignity. It is not compelling a woman to a particular size or shape of body."

The actor-turned-politician also reflected on how her iconic show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi is tackling the issues of body image issues that women in the country are facing right now. “We took up the issue of aging, body shaming, because these are fundamental issues that women deal with every day. For me, as somebody who's been a part of the creative industry, it was important. When I worked, I could never speak about issues like body shaming, aging, because these are fundamental issues that women today in our country, in our society, struggle with," she said.


She further added, “When we did Kyunki, we did not only issues about body shaming and aging, we also dealt with issues men deal with. If there is a fake case, can women stand up for such men? Now, that is not something that you expect in a television show or movies because people say that we are not progressive enough. The fact that we can have such progressive elements get accepted not only on TV but also OTT speaks volumes. So we are now at an age of fearlessness.”

And as for if the ramp took her back to her beauty pageant days? Smriti laughed, “No, it didn’t [remind me of it]. Because Miss India meant being whacked on the shoulder by Lubna Adams and having the stress of running from one area to another. This was actually about enjoying the craft of young women who came from the field of music, literature, and dance.”