Malavika Mohanan Reveals Navel Obsession In South Industry Is A 'Very Real Thing': 'They Zoom Into...'
Malavika Mohanan says that when she was 21 and did her first film, people criticised her for being too skinny.
Actor Malavika Mohanan recently opened up about the comments she gets about her body. She mentioned that in the South, there’s a focus on the navel and a preference for women who aren’t too thin. Malavika shared that she’s often told by co-stars and team members that she’s either too skinny or too heavy — comments that don’t sit right with her.
In an interview with Hauterrfly, Malavika said, “Every industry has a different idea of the ideal female body type. If I put on a little bit of weight and I come to Mumbai for work, my manager will be like, ‘You put on a little bit? You’ve stopped working out?’ And at the same time, if I’m fit and have washboard abs and I’m in Chennai, they’ll say, ‘Oh, you’ve lost your chub, you were cuter when you had your chub’. Women’s bodies are commented on so frequently, at one point I would get confused, should I be fit, should I be curvy? Now, I’ve reached a stage where I’m like, ‘Be healthy, be fit’."
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When asked about the focus on female navels in South India, Malavika Mohanan laughed and said she was confused at first because she grew up in Mumbai. “I used to be very perplexed earlier, too, because I’ve grown up in Mumbai. It was a completely new phenomenon that navels are obsessed over so much. And then you’d see pictures of actresses on social media, where they zoom into their bodies. Navel obsession is a very real thing," she said.
Malavika Mohanan shared that when she was 21 and did her first film, people criticised her for being too skinny, as South Indian audiences usually prefer curvier women. “I was trolled so much for being skinny. My body changed in my mid-20s. That’s when I got a little curvier. I was trolled so badly, and it was harsh! It really affected me."
Malavika Mohanan made her acting debut in 2013 with the Malayalam film Pattam Pole, starring opposite Dulquer Salmaan. She gained wider recognition with the film Beyond the Clouds (2017). Over the years, Malavika has acted in several popular films like The Great Father (2017), Petta (2019), and Master (2021), working in Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi cinema.
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