Sep 21, 2026 13:35 pm IST

Blog | Katrina Kaif, And The Very Indian Problem Of Too Much 'Audacity'

The remarkable thing about many Indian trolls is not that they have opinions, but that they expect - get this, Katrina Kaif, no less - to care about them.

Kaveree Bamzai Kaveree Bamzai Reporter

Kaveree Bamzai Reporter

It has become a national bloodsport. The rules are simple: everyone has to play it, whether they like it or not. Some are passive players, and some, extra aggressive. But no one is spared. You could look like Katrina Kaif, and the Republic of Unclejis and Auntyjis will still think you need to lose weight after carrying a baby for nine months. You could have been voted Miss World like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and still be criticised for not looking as you did when you won the title 32 years ago. And you could have sharp political views like Swara Bhaskar and find that no one wants to argue with you on politics, but poke holes in your appearance.

Last week has been full of chatter around Katrina's post-pregnancy body. The actor who became a mother in November last year has managed to offend members of the public who believe they are custodians of other people's bodies. It has sparked endless debates, intense scrutiny, and widely circulated images.

Nor has she been alone. Too chunky, too old, too visible, too vocal. Women who don't follow the rules of patriarchy have been told this for centuries. Trolls would like the disappearance of inconvenient-looking women who somehow destroy the national average of good looks. And what exactly is that in a country with as much diversity as India, where fair and dark, light eyes and black eyes, large or small, all........

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