It's Almost 2026, And An Actress Was Still Asked About Her Weight At A Press Meet

Malayalam actress Gouri Kishan, known for roles in films like 96, Master, and Anugraheethan Antony, recently showed why setting clear boundaries in public spaces matters. During a press event for her upcoming film Others, a vlogger asked her about her body instead of her acting. He remarked on her weight and hinted that she needed to explain how she looks on screen.

Many women in the film industry face comments like this and often let them go because people treat them as normal. But Gouri did not let it pass. She stopped the question and brought the attention back to what truly matters is her performance and her work.

When the Conversation Went Wrong

At a press meet in Chennai for her film Others, actor Gouri Kishan had a moment of disrespect. Instead of asking her about her work, a vlogger chose to speak about her body. The worst part is that he did not even ask her the question. He asked her co-actor Aditya Madhavan if it was difficult to lift her for a scene because of her weight. The focus shifted from acting to appearance, and it felt unfair and uncalled for.

At that moment, the room fell silent. Gouri, being in shock, did not immediately react to what had happened. There was complete silence from her co-actor and the director, too. Later on, when the video surfaced online, the moment of silence was pointed out and criticised. Many felt that nobody intervened or objected to the question.

The situation continued further. In another media interaction, the same vlogger justified his question and raised his voice. To that, this time Gouri spoke up. She wondered why her weight mattered at a film event and why, even in professional spaces, women are still judged by their bodies. She said her work deserves attention, not her body.

A clip of her response went viral. Many people came in her support and praised her for standing up for herself. Others questioned the silence of the men on stage. After the backlash, Aditya Madhavan said he froze in the moment because it was his debut promotion, later apologising and saying Gouri did not deserve that treatment.

Gowri did an amazing job. The moment you call out a disrespectful and an unnecessary question - a whole lot of shouting down happens.
So proud that someone so young stood her ground and pushed back.

No male actor gets asked what his weight is. No idea why they asked a female… pic.twitter.com/BtKO6U7lpQ

— Chinmayi Sripaada (@Chinmayi) November 6, 2025

The incident sparked a bigger debate: it showed women in cinema are still made to defend their bodies before they can talk of their craft. What is being talked about now is respect, gender, and how public spaces can fail women when they need support most.

Why This Matters Beyond One Event

Nothing is surprising about what happened. It feels familiar, almost tired. Women in Indian cinema have been dealing with comments about their bodies for decades. The only new thing is that more of them refuse to ignore it now.

Gouri Kishan’s moment on stage did not shock the industry. It exposed a habit everyone already knows. Women get judged on their bodies before anyone talks about their work. Men rarely face this. They can change weight, age on screen, and try new looks without having to justify anything. Women are expected to stay pleasing and silent.

The pattern is long. Vidya Balan was mocked early in her career, even while acting at the highest level. Sonakshi Sinha still faces constant comments about her body online.

Anushka Shetty dealt with harsh jokes after gaining weight due to a medical issue, even though she starred in one of the biggest films in recent years.

In Kerala, Parvathy Thiruvothu continues to be trolled for not fitting a beauty mould, despite being one of the most respected actors working today.

So when Gouri said enough, she wasn’t doing something dramatic. She was doing something overdue.

There is a slow change in the industry. Women are speaking more freely. In Kerala, the Women in Cinema Collective pushed for real mechanisms for safety and dignity at work, leading to a Supreme Court reminder in 2023 telling Malayalam film bodies to set up Internal Complaints Committees.

Across India, actors like Sai Pallavi, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Nithya Menen speak openly about respect and agency. The old model, where women stayed quiet and grateful, is losing ground.

Still, moments like this show the gap between policy and culture. A press meet should be about the film. It should never be a stage for someone to comment on a woman’s body. A camera and a mic do not give license to disrespect. Media freedom matters, but so does basic dignity.

There is also the tired excuse that celebrities “signed up for it.” They didn’t sign up for humiliation. There is a difference between being discussed and being reduced to a body on display. People can debate films. They do not get to treat someone’s body like content.

Gouri did what many women are starting to do. She refused to take it quietly. She insisted that her work matters more than someone’s idea of how she should look. One moment won’t fix the industry. But every time a woman in the cinema refuses to absorb this behaviour in silence, the old rules crack a little more.

Views expressed by the author are their own.