Motherhood brings joy, but also relentless scrutiny — especially for female actors. After Patralekhaa was trolled for her post-pregnancy weight following her appearance at the screening of Toaster, fellow actor Swara Bhasker speaks out against the pressure women face to “bounce back” after childbirth.

Bhasker, who has dealt with online abuse for over two years since becoming a mother, fumes, “All mothers should be left the hell alone. Nobody knows what an individual mother’s journey is. I saw Patralekhaa’s post, messaged her, and shared her post. A month ago, the media was trolling Rihanna for it too. Do people know what Rihanna has achieved before they shoot their mouth off and talk rubbish? Even Aishwarya Rai [Bachchan] wasn’t spared.”

While actors like Alia Bhatt, Kiara Advani and Deepika Padukone returned to their pre-pregnancy physiques quickly, Bhasker stresses that “everybody’s body is not the same”. “It’s bizarre that not only men, even women are trolling me. People don’t care if a man looks old. But if a woman stops looking desirable or glamorous in the way they feel actresses should, people get upset, forgetting that women have other feminine attributes too. Having a baby shifts your priorities in ways that are inexplicable, at least for me,” she says.

Patralekhaa

Patralekhaa’s reply to trolls

“What happened to me is that I have just given birth! I have not sat and eaten a mountain. I just delivered a baby and produced two films simultaneously, which is not an easy job… For God’s sake, please learn to be kind.”