I cried all the way home, thinking why God created me like this: Sonakshi on body shaming

Sonakshi Sinha made her Bollywood debut with Salman Khan's blockbuster Dabangg, back in 2010. In preparation for her role, she shed a significant amount of weight, losing 30 kilograms. Despite her promising start, Sonakshi struggled to build a long-lasting career in Bollywood. Her filmography includes notable movies such as Rowdy Rathore, Son of Sardar, Lootera, Mission Mangal, Kalank, Dabangg 2, and Dabangg 3. However, after a few years, she found herself appearing only in song sequences in several films.

Her most recent significant role was in the TV series Heeramandi, where she played a key character.

Sonakshi recently opened up about the body shaming she faced early in her career. She recalled an audition for a film where, not only was she rejected, but she was also mocked for her weight. "They told me, 'You will never fit this role. Maybe you could do smaller parts,'" she shared. "I cried all the way home. I kept asking myself, 'Why did God create me like this? Why did this happen to me?'"

Sonakshi decided to lose weight at the age of 18. "I weighed between 95 and 100 kilos when I was in school. One day, I went to the gym, got on the treadmill, and after just 30 seconds, I was out of breath. That’s when I realised I needed to lose weight. At that time, I wasn’t thinking about movies or my career — it was about my health," she said.

Even after entering the film industry, Sonakshi continued to face body shaming. Despite these challenges, she has remained resilient and is now speaking out about her experiences to inspire others.