Zareen Khan on Body Shaming: I got my name mixed with Katrina Kaif and was called ‘FATrina‘

Bollywood actress Zareen Khan, who made her dreamy debut in the 2010 movie ‘Veer’ opposite Salman Khan, claimed her constant comparison to actor Katrina Kaif has not worked in her favor at all as ‘no filmmaker wants to work with a lookalike or duplicate’!  Zareen Khan opened up on being body-shamed and called ‘FATrina’ (Fat Katrina).

 

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Holding on to the power of hope and realizing one’s inner strength are the two important elements that keep Zareen Khan going in life. The actress who has been part of eminent films like ‘Veer’, ‘Hate Story 3’, and ‘1921’ didn’t have it easy in the industry.

Zareen Khan on Body Shaming

From being bullied and compared in showbiz to dealing with the fixed perceptions and negative criticisms in the industry, Zareen Khan is battling against all odds, to make a name for herself. ETimes reached out to the diva, where she opened up about these struggles and challenges, she overcomes to emerge stronger.

Zareen Khan on comparisons to Katrina Kaif: ‘No filmmaker wants to work with a duplicate’

Zareen Khan has opened up about her comparison to fellow actor Katrina Kaif and has claimed it destroyed her career as no one wants to work with a duplicate.

Zareen khan was recently asked about her resemblance with Katrina during an interview with Navbharat Times. She said, “People come into the industry to create an identity for themselves and not to be someone else’s lookalike or shadow. I have struggled to make a place for myself in Bollywood for 11 years, but to date, people tag me as Katrina’s lookalike. No filmmaker wants to work with a lookalike or duplicate.”

Claiming that she has not just been likened to Katrina but a few more Bollywood actors as well, Zareen Khan said, “I think I have a universal face. I apparently look like a lot of people. Some call me Pooja Bhatt’s resemblance, some say, Preity Zinta, some even state I am Sunny Leone’s lookalike. I don’t understand why don’t ever look like Zareen Khan to people.”

Zareen Khan also cited few other examples of actors who couldn’t make it in Bollywood due to their comparisons to other more established stars. She mentioned how Sneha Ullal was also launched by Salman in Lucky but was termed as Aishwarya Rai’s lookalike and it ruined her career. She further named Ameesha Patel who was said to resemble Amrita Singh and Harman Baweja who was called Hrithik Roshan’s duplicate.

Here are some questions that Zareen Khan answered regarding her struggle facing “Body shaming”

What challenges do you still face in the industry?

I had no plans of becoming an actor because I never even pictured myself as one. My actual struggle began after entering the industry. With all the criticism coming my way, I find it difficult to get certain roles that I really wish to do. Despite not really having worked for the longest time, everything written about me has mostly been negative. It was very difficult to cope up. Moreover, people in the industry have a fixed perception of me hence, they don’t even give me a chance to do serious roles, which I really want to experiment with.

It is a vicious cycle. They don’t give you a chance to display your talent and at the same time, judge you for doing the same kind of roles. I am kind of stuck; still trying my best to call, message, and meet people for the kind of roles that I really want to do. I am not just a glamorous doll on the screen.

How do you deal with the criticism?

It definitely took a toll on me. At the beginning of my career, it really bogged me down because I was like a lost child. I do not come from a filmy background and was not as polished as the 20-21-year-olds that are presently a part of the industry. I didn’t even have anybody to guide me.

It was quite disheartening. But now I have shed all inhibitions, and keep messaging people and following up on things so that I get noticed, and get an opportunity to display the talent that I also have. I’m much more than just a pretty face; I want the industry to give me a chance to show that to them.

You were often compared with Katrina Kaif…

Yes, in the beginning, it was the whole lookalike thing… Honestly, I don’t even know from where it had creeped out. Even before my pictures or my interviews came out, a random picture, from my Facebook account, was being circulated with claims that she looks like Katrina. Back then, social media was not as powerful as it is today, and we were majorly dependent on media houses and newspapers.

So, I somehow feel that the public was not really given a chance to see me and have a perception of their own. It was fed to them as gossip. Our audience is also a little gullible that way, believing whatever they are fed instead of forming their own opinion.

Was it the biggest challenge you had to overcome?

No, my weight had also become like a national issue. I was given the craziest names and titles. I couldn’t understand this because I’ve always been a fat girl. I have weighed more than 100 kg, and here I was, not even 60 kg and being called fat. I thought I was fat when I was 100 kg but apparently, I’m still fat when I’ve lost half of that weight.

Now, I am happy with the way I am. I am a big-built girl and I will never be able to look like somebody who’s thin or petite. Unlike other girls in our industry who are super skinny, I have a big bone structure and I have made peace with it. In the beginning, it did trouble me, and I felt really inferior. When I was 100 kg, nobody had the guts to bully me and now people were bullying me. But now I’ve started working towards what is important.

All the hatred was mentally taxing for me. I had this constant feeling of not being good enough was playing on my mind and I was following drastic diets. But I’m in an industry, which is supposed to be about acting and not about my weight.