Actress Gouri G Kishan spoke about the incident where she had to call out a YouTube vlogger who asked her about her weight during a press meet in Chennai.
The actress, who spoke to Manorama News, said, “ What power does the man have to ask me to lose weight and comment on my weight? Does he know my medical history, gut-related issues, and hormonal issues? Even if I didn't have any of these, each person has a different body type."
"If it doesn't affect my work, why should anyone make it a problem? No one will ask this question to a man. They asked the hero about the film.”
She further added, “I don't understand why such bullying and harassment is being normalised."
“No one asked the man (the YouTube vlogger) to cool down. They asked me to be quiet. I asked them to let me speak. This is unbelievable, ridiculous,” she added.
The incident
During a press meet for her upcoming film, a YouTube vlogger asked Gouri's co-star Aditya Madhavan how much she weighed when he had to lift her during a scene. Gauri immediately said that the question was disrespectful and that he should apologise.
However, instead of apologising, the man later doubled down on his question and even defended himself.
In a video that has now gone viral, Gouri questions and schools the man on body shaming in a Q&A session.
Speaking in Tamil, she asked him, “How does my weight concern you in any way. How does it matter and be relevant to the film? My weight is my choice, and it does not concern my talent. I can only speak through my films, and I am working hard. I have chosen characters that are career-oriented.”
Instead of hearing her out, the pressers and the film’s publicity team tried to pacify the actress. She also had to address them, saying, “I have a point to make here, and everyone is silencing me.”
Fans and fellow actors praised Gouri for the way she dealt with the disrespectful question. Netizens said that her reply was a much-needed pushback against sexism in the Tamil film industry.
Chinmayi Sripada, an actress, said on X, “Gowri did an amazing job. The moment you call out a disrespectful and unnecessary question, a whole lot of shouting down happens. So proud that someone so young stood her ground and pushed back. No male actor gets asked what his weight is. No idea why they asked a female actor. Gouri later reposted her saying, “Thank you @Chinmayi, Women like you inspire us to stand our ground. Your support means a lot to me. Thank you.”
Kavin Raj also supported the actress on social media.
Netizens also expressed their criticism and disappointment with the director and the lead actor who were present during the incident.
Aditya Madhavan later responded on social media, saying, “I regret not being able to respond on the same day. She does not deserve it. Everyone has the right to be respected. I apologize again.”
