Can We Stop Assuming Things About Actresses' Bodies?

If you've spent any time on the internet in the past couple of days, you would have seen at least one post speculating or, even, announcing, that Priyanka Chopra maybe pregnant. The reason behind this? There were photos of Chopra at a recent event, many of which were top shots, which showed a small bump. Obviously, this could mean nothing except that the newly married actress was with child. 

Most of us would have shrugged it off, or laughed it off, and scrolled past it. But this is indicative of a larger issue — how we take women's bodies for granted. Let me explain. This is not the first time such rumours have been circulated about an actress (nor will it be the last). The moment an actress is married, the next topic up for speculation is whether or not she is pregnant. She is then put under a microscope and scrutinised, for any signs in change of body shape or dressing style or even daily habits (since we're already privy to their schedules thanks to the internet and social media). 

It's not like women can slouch or slump, or have eaten too much, or have a medical problem, or simply, put on some weight — no, sirree! If we even thought about this, it would mean that we're treating these women and their bodies with the respect that human beings deserve, and that, obviously, is out of the question. It's as if our collective conscience has gone for a toss, and we're all hungrily waiting for a group of women to do something even remotely off the pre-conceived script, so that we can rush in with our unwarranted, unsolicited, and oftentimes hateful, comments. 

And Chopra is only one of many actresses, who have to face this kind of attention on a daily basis. Because, it's not just one article or one rumour, you see — these articles open the floodgates for the fans, the general public, the world to comment and gossip, and inadvertently lay claim on these celebrities and their bodies. Thanks to the double-edged sword that is social media, anyone and everyone has access to everyone else, and can easily express their thoughts, mostly unsolicited, as fervently as they wish. This usually includes (a lot of) hate. 

It took Chopra's mother, Madhu Chopra, to go on record and state that it was just the camera angle that made it look that way, for the rumours to die down. But of course, they will come up again, when Chopra wears a slightly larger, flow-y dress, or if she ate too much one day, or if she's spotted going to the doctor, even. And thus, the vicious cycle will continue. We, as an audience, need to call out this kind of toxicity, and remind ourselves and the media that women's bodies are not something to be talked about whenever, in a hateful manner. We have to treat them with respect, and recognise that they, too, will have days when their bodies aren't the best or they look slightly different. We have to treat women like human beings.