Priyanka Chopra Jonas Trolled For Her Bold Grammy Outfit. She Isn¡¯t First To Be Body-Shamed

The Grammys are over but the internet is not yet done discussing Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The actor stepped out for the awards function, with husband Nick Jonas, in a custom Ralph & Russo white gown with a neckline that plunged beneath her navel. The risqu¨¦ neckline put the crystal stud on her belly on display. Needless to say, all eyes were on the actor when she walked the red carpet with Jonas.

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Netizens were quick to dissect and bisect the actor¡¯s latest fashion statement. While some lauded her bold garb, another section was not that appreciative and took to social media to question her sartorial choice. A few felt that her outfit resembled the iconic dress Jennifer Lopez wore to the ceremony in 2000, though fashion experts were quick to point out that the only similarity was their plunging neckline. But there were several others who felt the actor ¡°did not have the body to wear something like that¡±, going so far as to say she looked ¡°vulgar¡± in it.

Chopra-Jonas was body-shamed on Instagram for ¡°spilling out¡± of the dress. One user wrote, ¡°I wish somebody has stapled your dress..your nude body is lyk a nightmare (sic).¡±

Another said, ¡°She looks like a porn star" while another commented, ¡°I think you need surgery to lift them up.¡±

Bollywood shamed, always.

Unfortunately, Chopra Jonas isn¡¯t the first actor to be targeted by trolls for the way she dressed or looked. Vidya Balan, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Sonakshi Sinha, Vaani Kapoor and Ileana D¡¯Cruz, among others, have been body-shamed at some point during the Bollywood career. They have been at the receiving end of comments that range from 'friendly suggestions' to downright rude.

Take Vidya Balan, for instance. When the actor shared a racy picture of herself while holidaying on a beach in Indonesia, she was fat-shamed almost instantly.

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Comments on Instagram ranged from, ¡°Dirty picture this is not movie why can¡¯t you be social responsible (sic)¡± and ¡°Am sure nobody is looking at your face¡± to ¡°latak gaye hai (sic)¡±.

Even fashionista Sonam Kapoor Ahuja has not been spared. She has been quoted as saying, ¡°People would say, bahut patli hai, bahot moti hai, kaali ho gayi hai, lumbi ho gayi hai, shaadi kaun karega.¡±

?? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ????? ?? #Game_of_Throne ??? ?? ???? ??

¡ª ?????? ????? ????? ????????????TPN (@Sharma95k) January 28, 2020

Priyanka is looking like Grand Mother by her open dress. Once upon a time, She is goddess with good physique. But after marriage, She lost the beauty in body. It is really shocking to see her revealing picture like Grand Mother. Let somebody advise her to shape her body now

¡ª k.chari (@kchari2) January 28, 2020

No I am Not jealous? Strip if u want too but show atleast something worth seeing ? Everyone can¡¯t be @JLo ? Sad that desperation makes even Miss World do this 4 attention ? @bombaytimes is doing crap by saying it¡¯s cool ?Growing old is not in our hands but being FIT is ? pic.twitter.com/y1D7ZKL6Oi

¡ª PAYAL ROHATGI & Team- Bhagwan Ram Bhakts (@Payal_Rohatgi) January 28, 2020

The curvy Ileana D¡®Cruz has been subjected to body-shaming since the age of 13. She was quoted as saying, ¡°People would be like, ¡®This isn¡¯t normal. Why do you have a body like that?¡¯¡±

Sonakshi Sinha has been addressed as 'cow on the catwalk', 'fatso', 'aunty' and even 'Motakshi Sinha' while Vaani Kapoor has been called ¡°manly¡± on her social media posts.

The soft targets.

While Bollywood and Hollywood celebs are soft targets for body-shamers, it can happen to anyone, from sports stars and business tycoons to the boy or girl next door. All you need to do is post something innocently on social media or just walk down the street wearing what you want.

Body-shamers will arrive armed with negative comments on one¡¯s looks, hair, fashion choices and weight.

Though it may seem like women face it more, men too have not been spared. Vin Diesel, Jason Momoa and Leonardo DiCaprio have all been called out for flaunting 'dad bods'.

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Though no one really knows why people indulge in body-shaming, some in the mental health world believe that the people who indulge in it are insecure and do it to feel better about themselves.

¡°They are also emboldened by social media, which allows them some level of anonymity. These people won¡¯t say hurtful things if they were speaking to the individual in person,¡± says Vidya Sinha, a mental health counsellor.

Here's how you can tackle body shaming.

So, then how does one control this menace that has been known to create physical insecurity and promote low self-esteem? While it is easy to say that one should ignore the trolls and stay away from the negativity, it is human nature to feel hurt when someone says something negative about you.

¡°So focus your energies on building your confidence, feel better about yourself and move on,¡± says Sinha.

She suggests a few steps that could help:

Do something that makes you happy: If you like singing at the top of your voice, do that. Dance around the room, spend time with friends and family, treat yourself at a spa, watch a movie, or do some shopping.

Do something that makes you feel beautiful: Get a haircut or colour your hair. Buy a new dress to wear to an upcoming office party. Get a manicure or pedicure.

Do something that makes you feel successful: It could be learning calligraphy or reading a new book every month. Or maybe you could take the wine appreciation class you¡¯ve always wanted to sign up for.

Do something nice for others: It¡¯s scientifically proven that helping others can make you feel good about yourself. So do your bit. Volunteer at an old-age home or help clean the beaches on the weekend.

The writer is a Mumbai-based freelancer.