Gouri Kishan stands up to body-shaming remark; Chinmayi, Kavin voice support

Actress Gouri Kishan confronted a reporter for posing a contentious question about her weight during a press meet in Chennai for her forthcoming film Others.

The incident, which took place ahead of the film’s release on Friday (November 7), quickly gained traction online and sparked widespread discussion about sexism faced by women in the film industry.

Celebrities such as actor Kavin and singer Chinmayi Sripaada voiced their support for Gouri.

Reporter's contentious question

During a press interaction on Thursday (November 6), the actress dismissed questions about her weight, calling them “highly disrespectful, unnecessary, and stupid”.

Despite repeated attempts by the reporter to justify himself, Gouri held her ground, leading to a heated exchange during the event.

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Earlier, the same journalist had questioned Gouri’s co-star Aditya Madhavan about the former's weight, referring to a scene where he had to lift her in the film.

At that time, Gouri reportedly said she was too shocked to respond, as she was still processing what had occurred. She later expressed her discomfort in another pre-release interview.

Gouri Kishan challenges sexist remark

On Thursday, after the film’s press screening, the journalist attempted to defend his question, raising his voice, and justified that his question was valid, prompting Gouri to challenge the relevance of the question in the context of the film.

“How does my weight concern you? How is it relevant to this film? Every woman has a different body type. I will let my talent speak. I’ve only done character-driven films so far. I don’t need your validation,” Gouri asserted.

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“I’m the only woman in this room and I’m being targetted with such questions. You’re not even showing basic respect for me just because I’m a woman,” she added.

Some journalists later described the question as “light-hearted”, but Gouri dismissed that characterisation.

“I did not find it funny. Stop normalising body-shaming. It was a question about me, I have the right to have an opinion,” she said.

'I should have stepped in earlier': Co-star Aditya

Gouri also expressed frustration that questions about her craft were being ignored in favour of comments about her appearance.

“I haven’t been asked a single question about my character or how I prepared for the role. Everyone only wants to talk about my weight,” she remarked.

She reiterated that the question was “stupid” and pointed out that female actors are frequently singled out. She also asked the reporter whether he would ever pose such a question to a male actor.

During the exchange, Gouri told the reporter, “You are objectifying a female actor,” and added, “This is not journalism, you are a disgrace to your profession.”

Actor Aditya Madhavan, Gouri's co-star, present at the event, later addressed criticism of his silence.

He stated, "My silence didn’t mean I approve of body-shaming anyone. I froze because it caught me off guard - it's my debut. I wish I’d stepped in sooner. She didn’t deserve that. No one does. Everyone deserves respect. I apologise once again."

Chinmayi, Kavin support Gouri

The video of the exchange went viral, with many praising Gouri for addressing the issue head-on. Her firm response, coupled with the silence of her male colleagues, further fuelled debate about gender dynamics in public spaces.

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Singer Chinmayi Sripaada in a post on X lauded Gouri's courage.

“Gouri did an amazing job. The moment you call out a disrespectful and unnecessary question, there’s shouting and pushback. So proud that someone so young stood her ground. No male actor gets asked about his weight,” wrote Chinmayi.

Responding to Chinmayi, Gouri said, “Women like you inspire us to stand our ground. Your support means a lot to me, thank you.”

Actor Kavin also called her inspiring, writing, “Inside and out, you’re beautiful and inspiring, Gouri. Always stay the same.”