The current crop of Indian actresses is known to be quite bold, outspoken and extremely strong. They don’t shy away from experimenting with their roles on screen. And they don’t measure their words while expressing their opinions off screen. Sometimes they slam their own trolls. And more often than not, they even support their contemporaries wholeheartedly. From facing body shaming to tackling with depression – this brigade proudly talks about various issues and inspires thousands of women across the country with their unabashed honesty. International Women’s Day is going to be celebrated worldwide in a couple of days. But isn’t everyday our day, girls? So I decided to compile some excerpts from various interviews of our Bollywood divas over the years, where they’ve said things that left us inspired.
1) Alia Bhatt on sucking it up during her bad days
I have bad days where my confidence is just zero, and I feel like s**t because I feel I look like s**t, pardon my language. But then I just suck it up. I’m like any other girl at the end of the day, I’m not made of steel. I have to work very hard to look a certain way, and I am still getting there.
2) Kangana Ranaut on women being tagged whores and witches
When they’re jealous of a woman’s success, the first thing she becomes is a daayan. If she’s crazily successful, she becomes a psychopath. If she’s sexually active, she becomes a whore. I’ve played a whore on screen, and my close interaction with prostitutes has allowed me to be extremely empathetic to them. So it doesn’t work on me. Witches – I love Shakespeare, and like any other artist, I’m also smitten by witches, or fairies, or demons, or Gods, or mysticism, or romanticism. It doesn’t scare me.
3) Priyanka Chopra on her version of a Cinderella story
Don’t try to squeeze into a glass slipper. Instead, shatter the glass ceiling.
4) Vidya Balan on celebrating her body
It’s my body, I love my body. It doesn’t matter what people say. Different people will have different things to say. If I look into the mirror and I am happy with what I am wearing, I would just step out. And then I don’t care about what anyone has to say about it.
5) Sushmita Sen on being happy with her ‘pakoda’ nose
Do I want to fix my nose even though I’ve always been told I have a pakoda nose? No yaa… I’m happy cutting it with makeup if I have to. I don’t need to get it done through plastic surgery. But if I choose to do it tomorrow, I’d do so with great aplomb because I want to.
6) Deepika Padukone on battling depression
We talk about all kinds of ailments, but this is probably one of the deadliest mental disorders. Nothing, including life, makes sense to people suffering from it. Overcoming it has made me a stronger person and I now value my life much more. Accepting it and speaking about it has liberated me. I have stopped taking medication, and I hope my example will help people reach out for help.
7) Kalki Koechlin on always being her true self and refusing to pretend
I believe in being myself every step of the way and not hiding my true self from society, whether that means getting a divorce because me and my husband didn’t want to pretend for other people, or wearing shorts because it’s a hot day or choosing a career which is unstable but creatively satisfying, or admitting to my weaknesses because learning from them has led to my strengths.
8) Ileana D’Cruz on being imperfect
You may look at us actors and think that ‘Oh my God, they are so pretty, so perfect’. But that’s not how it is. It takes two hours to get ready and look like this. Love yourself for who you are and trust me if you are happy from within, you are the most beautiful person and your smile is your best asset.
9) Parineeti Chopra on being blunt
I always speak my mind. When I talk to someone, I speak bluntly. I don’t like to filter things. People usually tell me how can you talk to someone without thinking anything. But I am like that only and I won’t change.
10) Richa Chadha on why actresses should have each other’s back
Women don’t realise that they need to promote the category, not the brand. I can’t keep talking about myself. If Sonam (Kapoor) is doing well, I have to compliment her, or if Kangana (Ranaut) is doing well, I have to acknowledge it to promote our category… That’s how actresses will get longevity. Otherwise, we will keep fighting among ourselves and, in two-three years, some old daddy will come and say, ‘I want fresh faces,’ and we are out!
11) Sonakshi Sinha on breaking the mold
I think I have broken the mold that actresses have to be extremely thin on screen. All those who are making my weight an issue just prove that people are jealous. These are people who have nothing to do in life except to stare at their computer screens and make comments on us.
12) Anushka Sharma on NOT being a ‘good Indian girl’
I’m a boys’ girl! I come from an army background and I haven’t known what being a ‘good Indian girl’ means. My childhood has been a blur of coming back from school and heading straight to the nearest army club for a lot of sports — swimming, basketball, tennis, badminton — and chicken lollipops and soft drinks…
13) Kareena Kapoor about not being worried about her ‘biological clock ticking’
Why should I worry about the biological clock ticking? Saif is 10 years older. He should be worried.
14) Katrina Kaif on her faith in happy endings
Though I am not an avid reader but I like romantic books. Love is a good thing. At times in love, there are disappointments…one must not keep expectations. I like to be positive in love. I believe in happy endings.