At a time when actors like Malaika Arora and Soha Ali Khan are redefining what 40s can look like for athletically superior mothers, a crucial conversation is also gaining attention on Sameera Reddy’s Instagram page. Addressing her 1.5 million followers, Reddy talks of the guilt she endured when she didn’t fit a certain body type, post pregnancy. 

The truth of the troubled relationships that young actors in cinema have had with their bodies are well known. For Reddy, matters were not quite at odds with the ‘norm’. “I would run, swim, lift, and exercise even if I was exhausted after a long day of shoot. Mentally, I was volatile. Fad dieting was a norm. I’d survive on [minimal food], and black coffee, and had cut out sugar and carbs from my diet. When you are young, you tend to do whatever you need to do to get the job done.”