MX TakaTak is one of the finest short format video apps in India and thanks to this amazing platform, many talented content creators have gotten the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a humongous audience. Their latest initiative ‘Launchpad’ is certainly helping many content creators engage more by helping them realize their potential audience and one such amazing creator is Sayali Valame.
What makes Sayali unique and special is that she juggles between two fields which are completely different from one other. On one hand, she’s a Criminal Lawyer whereas on the other hand, she manages to take ample time out from her busy schedule to focus on her content creation projects. She’s also a motivational speaker who believes in helping people become better day by day. Because of Sayali’s weight, she has often had to deal with societal stigmas like ‘body shaming’. But instead of bowing down to these forces, she has taken it on herself to come out stronger and influence the youth towards ‘body positivity’. When asked to elaborate on the same, she was quoted as saying,
“Well, if I go back to my childhood, more than my weight, I got shamed and ridiculed for a disease that I had. I had Psoriasis. It is a case where skin cells build up and form scales and itchy dry patches. If the reddish nature continues, sometimes it even results to bleeding. So, I have unfortunately had to suffer from that. More than my weight, I have been shamed and trolled for that. People have treated me at times as if I am from a different planet and I don’t have the right to live on Earth. That used to break my heart on many occasions. Not just outsiders, even during family gatherings etc, there would be people who would question my family members as to why I was brought there. These things are never really pleasant for any human being. After a certain point of time, it became a case of ridiculing for both my skin condition and my weight. I would see people randomly smiling and making a joke or two about my body or how I look. It’s really shameful.”
She continued: “What’s worse is, I remember a situation where I had gone to the cops to shed light on how I was being shamed and even there, I was surprised to see their reaction. The cops are there to give you a solution right? If they only talk about how fat I am, what’s the point? I also remember one instance where I saw few individuals seeing me and make fun of me. When I realized and went up to them to ask them why they are doing that, they denied saying the reason of their laughter is different. But, going by their eye stares and the way they laughed, I knew it was about me. The same people when they saw me outside the office in my advocate clothes, they apologized saying, ‘Madam, we are sorry, we didn’t know about you…’ My point here is that whatever be my job profile, shaming is simply not allowed. Was it legitimate to shame me had I not been a lawyer? There are so many instances which I can think of that I have dealt with. I remember one case where via a matrimonial site, a man asked me if I would be able to have s*x with him given my weight condition since he was my ‘future husband’. I was totally disgusted by that. These matrimonial sites are to bridge the gap between potential candidates for marriage. If such judgements and ridiculous things happen there, who takes the responsibility and accountability?. I can keep going on and on.”
Despite all the negative judgements and hurdles that have come her way, what makes Sayali a strong and determined individual is that she has used her strength to influence others about ‘body positivity’ the right way. When asked about what kind of content she aims to create to continue doing the good work, she concluded by saying,
“Well, I always try to add some value to my content which will help others feel inspired and motivated. I don’t want to do stuff just for the sake of it. I want to continue creating good content to spread positive influence. When people DM me saying about how my dance video or funny reel made them feel better about themselves or made them smile, that’s where I feel my victory lies as a content creator. If my art and content helps people express themselves better, that’s where I feel I have done a decent job. Anyone who sends me a message about my work and content motivates me to do even better. I have never let these judgements and societal stigmas get the better of my mindset and I want to instill the same belief in others as well. Live and let live. It’s as simple as that.”
Kudos to Sayali for the grit and strength she has displayed in her entire life till now despite all the negativity around. We wish her all the best in her career going forward and may she continue to inspire other ladies with her work and content. Let us know your views in the comments below and for more updates, stay tuned to IWMBuzz.com.
