"We Have Gotten So Used to Bad Behaviour on the Internet We Think it’s Normal": Sonakshi Sinha

Actor Sonakshi Sinha is charged with the kind of chutzpah popstars write songs about, one that makes Sonakshi a champion of body positivity and a poster-child for fearlessness. For she has established, time after time, that she is unafraid to speak up when lines are crossed. And with every unfiltered reveal and shut down, her fans root a little louder, clap with more enthusiasm.In countless magazine and television interviews, Sonakshi has spoken openly about her struggles with her body—and the many unsolicited opinions that come with it. In 2014, Sonakshi posted a cartoon of a skeleton and let her shamers know that she will never look like that. Before adding that she wished they could see which finger she was holding up for “shallow and idiotic people”. More recently, she was the face of fashion-brand Myntra’s campaign, where she read out toxic comments from her social media account—the emotionally transparent video resonated with millions of women in a visceral way. 

Over the years, Sonakshi has developed a system to deal with the spew of hatred and unoriginal slurs that make up a significant part of the Internet. It is an elementary—but effective—solution: block and forget.

“I simply block the person, without giving them the satisfaction of a reply, which is what they’re looking for, really,” she says, matter-of-factly. “Unless it’s something that really boils my blood; then I’ll speak up!” She pauses, perhaps to dig into the past, before saying, “Isn’t it sad that we have gotten so used to bad behaviour on the Internet that we actually think it’s normal? But just because it keeps happening does not make it right. The truth is, we shouldn’t be sorry. We should give it back. We should make it stop! I believe that you shouldn’t be able to say anything online that you cannot say to a person’s face. Because if anybody spoke that way in person, they’d probably be behind bars or they’d be slapped!” 
Sonakshi explains that she is very conscious of the impact all media—including her own Instagram handle—has on how young, impressionable women view their bodies. “Magazines, television, movies, social media....we’re all responsible for building this image,” she says. “When we show a certain body type, over and over, we send out a subliminal message that you can’t be beautiful unless you look like that.” 

Thankfully, tides are turning, and Sonakshi is glad for the shift. “In the recent past, many people have made a conscious effort to rewrite the definition of beauty and move away from a stereotypical image. And I’m happy to see this move in a positive direction, it’s a good way forward. I remember, when I debuted, my comments section featured a few positive comments like, ‘She’s a breath of fresh air’ and ‘She breaks the mould’. And those are the comments that stuck with me. I held on to them and they kept me going. Which is why I’ve always made a conscious effort to present a healthy body image. I am a certain frame, yes. I am a certain build, yes. And I cannot look any different from how I do. I know that in my head, and I want other girls who have bodies like mine to be okay with that, too. Even when I lost weight, I put my journey out there because I was proud of what I had achieved. And I did it the right way...I ate healthy, I worked out, and most importantly, I did not kill myself over it. I do not want girls to drive themselves into a frenzy over their weight. Do what you want, but do it for the right reasons. It should not be for reasons like, ‘Oh I hate my body and that is why I want to change it’. No, there needs to be more of, ‘I love my body, I respect it, and I want to make it healthier.’  Like, if you want to make an omelette, make an omelette, but don’t be like, ‘Oh God, the egg has to be the perfect shape and this specific colour’!” I find this omelette reference hilarious, and make a joke about how it would make a great tattoo. “But it’s true,” Sonakshi laughs. “Don’t obsess over these things! If you want to make an omelette, just go make it!” 

Sonakshi’s plainspeak is utterly refreshing. She flashes a grin when I tell her so. “Thanks! It’s too difficult to try to pretend to be someone else, no?!” It certainly is. 
 

Creative Direction: Zunaili Malik; Photographs: Kussh Sinha