KARACHI: Actor and visual artist Naimal Khawar has criticised the growing trend of publicly commenting on women’s bodies, urging social media users to stop turning natural physical changes into subjects of public discussion.
Known for her role in Anaa and her work as a painter, Khawar recently responded on Instagram after resharing a post in which users speculated about her appearance at a recent wedding. Some questioned whether she had gained weight or was pregnant.
Khawar said it was both “fascinating and sad” that people had become so comfortable commenting on women’s bodies.
She pointed out that weight can naturally fluctuate and that people do not necessarily look the same as they did several years earlier. She also noted that motherhood can bring significant physical and emotional changes.
Khawar, who is married to actor Hamza Ali Abbasi and became a mother in 2020, stressed that women’s bodies can change because of age, hormones, stress, health, lifestyle and pregnancy, and that none of these changes should be treated as an invitation for public commentary.
Addressing women who face similar scrutiny, she said nobody owes others the same body they had five years ago, last year or even the previous month. She added that a person’s body should be allowed to change without becoming a source of entertainment for others.
Khawar’s comments come amid a broader discussion in Pakistan’s entertainment industry about the intense scrutiny female celebrities face over their appearance.
Actor Kubra Khan recently spoke about restrictive beauty standards after facing online criticism over her pairing with Shuja Asad in the drama Doctor Bahu. She said the industry and society often create a narrow physical ideal that not everyone can fit into.
Khan also challenged the perception that women must be thin, tall or conform to a particular appearance to be considered attractive. She said her own body had changed naturally over the course of her career and that she had found greater peace by prioritising her health rather than unrealistic expectations.
Actor Sanam Jung has also previously spoken against body-shaming, particularly in relation to her drama Pyari Mona, which explored the experiences of a woman facing social judgment because of her appearance.
Jung called for an end to bullying, body-shaming and judging people based on physical features.
The comments from Khawar, Khan and Jung reflect a wider concern about how women in the public eye are frequently subjected to online commentary about their weight, age and appearance.
Khawar’s message reinforces the view that natural changes in a person’s body do not require explanation, justification or public approval.
