To suggest that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was always the focus of hostility and prejudice is an exaggeration. From becoming criticized for her performing talents to her Cannes fashion, Miss World 1994 was never spared by anybody. But after she put on weight during her maternity and after having given birth to her first kid, Aaradhya Bachchan, in November 2011, Aishwarya remained frequently criticized for her appearance.

Bollywood actresses have an unspoken rule that they must always look fantastic, be in excellent condition, and preserve their attractiveness no matter what. They would be exposed to vicious jibes and unpleasant insults if they didn’t. When they don’t fit the expectations of a conventional Bollywood heroine, this is how most people see them. And Aishwarya knew exactly what she was getting herself into when she decided to become a mother.

“It hasn’t only been when she became a mother. In the context of parenting, you’re talking to body shaming explicitly. Because you’re looking at it from the perspective of the shifting bodily frame. She’s talking about how she was able to deal with it since she’s had to deal with judgment in my life for a long time.” In an interview with CNN-Rajeev News18’s Masand, Aishwarya Rai spoke at length about the subject of body-shaming that woman of all ages endures.

She went on to say, “‘Oh, she has lived the fairy tale existence,’ according to articles. Yes, she has received many things for which she is thankful, but my concern is, “On what basis do you assume? This leads us back to the point of judgment. You choose if something is a cakewalk based on how you choose to look at it. People believe that if they dress a specific way, they will not be judged. But believe me when she says that no matter how you appear, you will be judged for something.”

Despite all the adversity, Aishwarya never had a moment of self-doubt in her life. She was quite content in her own life, with her daughter Aaradhya and all the positive energy surrounding her, and she also had a clear idea of who she was and where she stood. “These are the decisions that must be made at the end of the day. Nobody else is instructing me how to be or what she should do,” she said