'Gippi' To 'Double XL': Bollywood Flicks That Centered Around Fat-Shaming
Posted On: 28 Feb 2023 | Last Updated : 28 Feb 2023 | Views : 3.9k
For many years Bollywood had comedians and comediennes who were obese and were given roles to play that made the audiences laugh with their antics and comical gags. Fat-shaming was considered cool for decades with the occasional homophobic joke thrown in as well. The likes of yesteryear Bollywood comedians Gope and Tun Tun were used in film after film to provide comic relief of which most were endless fat-shaming jokes to evoke laughter among audiences. Off late portraying fat-shaming on screen is no more considered funny or cool with more directors bringing to life body positivity stories that create an environment of inclusivity than before. A considerable change has been witnessed in Bollywood movies that have normalized fat-shaming and comes up with subjects that helped in undoing the age-old fixation which left a terrible impact on people who suffered from obesity issues in real life. Here are some instances from Bollywood movies that centered around fat-shaming and used as a changing landscape of Indian content:
1. Badhaai Ho Badhaai (2002)
Anil Kapoor starrer Badhaai Ho Badhaai directed by Satish Kaushik was one of the earliest Bollywood flicks that centered around fat-shaming or obesity. Anil Kapoor who played an obese young man obsessed with eating falls in love with a young girl played by Keerthi Reddy. In order to make her fall for him Anil Kapoor undergoes weight loss to transform himself only to realize that she loves someone else. The first half of the movie was all about how Anil sheds all those extra pounds while the second half was about how he makes the two lovers unite.
2. Fatso! (2012)
Director Rajat Kapoor’s Fatso! also features among Bollywood films based on fat-shaming but in a very subtle way. The movie revolved around a hugely overweight Sudeep (Ranvir Shorey) who is the odd man out in a group of friends. Sudeep survives an accident but loses one of his friends who was to marry the woman he loved secretly. The deceased friend’s soul returns to earth and enters Sudeep’s body who is made to woo his beloved fiancée all over again which is quite fascinating to watch.
3. Gippi (2013)
Come to talk about fat-shaming in Bollywood films and we have Sonam Nair’s teen drama Gippi too making it to the list. The movie revolves around a teenage girl named Gippi (Riya Vij) who has reached puberty age and is battling with weight issues. Despite making all efforts to grab attention and get noticed by boys Gippi fails while everyone makes her feel that she is not enough because of her weight. But finally, what the film conveys is that she accepts herself as she is and lives the best life.
4. Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015)
Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar starrer Dum Laga Ke Haisha is another prime example of fat-shamming in Bollywood movies. This Sharat Katariya directorial shows a middle-class matric fail young man played by Ayushmann Khurrana who is married off to an overweight Bhumi Pednekar and is not happy about it as she is not his ideal dream girl. A spat between the couple leads to their separation but Ayushmann Khurrana later realizes that finally, it’s the love and respect for each other which matters in a relationship and not physical appearance.
5. Fanney Khan (2018)
Yet another Bollywood movie based on fat-shaming or obesity that comes to mind is Atul Manjrekar’s Fanney Khan released in 2018. Though it seemed to be like another run-of-the-mill musical but it revolved around Anil Kapoor's daughter (Pihu Sand) in the film who wants to be a singer, but her problem is that she's overweight, and people mock her to make life miserable for her. To make her let go of her fears and fulfill her dreams, Anil Kapoor plans to kidnap a famous singing star Baby Singh (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), in return for a big ransom. What follows thereafter is to make his daughter a singing star and to let people accept the way she looks.
6. Ujda Chaman (2019)
Abhishek Pathak’s Ujda Chaman not just addressed the insecurities of bald men facing rejections but also women facing the insecurities of being overweight. The film revolved around Chaman (Sunny Singh) a lecturer in a college who starts loving Apsara (Maanvi Gagroo), only after he sees his colleague’s mute wife. The film did manage to bring out the harsh reality that fat and bald people face in their day-to-day lives which is problematic to the core but failed to connect with the audiences or come up with a convincing solution so to speak.
7. Saroj Ka Rishta (2022)
Director Abhishek Saxena’s romantic comedy Saroj Ka Rishta might have gone unnoticed at the box office but it surely dealt with the story of obesity where bridegrooms are looking for only slim and trim brides for themselves. Saroj (Sanah Kapur) despite being overweight wishes to marry her NRI schoolmate by showing her old photo where she was slim and trimmed. Saroj has a gym trainer who secretly loves her and helps her lose weight, But Saroj soon realizes that she doesn’t want to marry her NRI classmate but her gym trainer and who loves her for what she is.
8. Double XL (2022)
Last but not least the Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi starrer Double XL too features in the list of Bollywood flicks based on fat-shaming. The movie which was directed by Satramm Ramani talks about the issue of body weight that still exists in our society. The movie showed the journey of two plus-size women namely Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi who despite being talented in their specific field of the profession are always questioned about their size. Finally, how Huma who plays the role of a sports presenter, and Sonakshi who plays the role of a fashion designer transform their weaknesses into their strengths is worth commendable.
