Sai Tamhankar on body shaming: It is time to renew the way we bring up our children – Exclusive – Times of India

In an industry full of challenges, Sai Tamhankar is known to have paved her path without any godfather. Last seen in Mimi and Navarasa, she is a talent mine, bold and chooses to speak her mind unfiltered. Among the many challenges in the world of glamour and showbiz, Sai, like many other actresses, too has been body shamed. Speaking to ETimes, she said that such behaviour has to do majorly with upbringing of a person and that it doesn’t bother her. “We are the obstacles (in uprooting this mentality). It is time to renew the way we bring up our children. I think the body shaming and objectifying comments that we face deserve absolutely no attention, time and energy,” she says.

Dealing with trolls and their pointy comments can take a toll on one’s mental health. Sai, however, has found her way to keep her mental peace. “I simply do not deal with them, they do not deserve my attention,” she says.

Often it is seen that an actress’ talent is overshadowed by her good looks. Sai, who has been vocal about body positivity, still chooses to stand her own. “I think my acceptance of who I am plays a very important role in standing my ground. Acceptance makes you free and infuses confidence. It is a sad truth however you cannot suppress talent for a long time,” she says.

Sai also reflected upon whether showbiz itself is responsible for setting the wrong standards of beauty and shares a word of advice for new comers. “I think we are collectively responsible for witnessing, acknowledging and following such flawed examples. But time itself has given a us a second chance to see things in a new light and I think we are making the most of it. My advice to aspiring actresses is to find the uniqueness in them and spend the rest of the life adoring it. You are beautiful the way you are, do not get fooled by unrealistic beauty standards. Also, shift all of that focus to your talent and grooming it. It will help you way longer. Whatever you do, looks fade, talent doesn’t,” she concludes.