India slams Aishwarya for failing to lose weight

How the 'most beautiful woman in the world' has been accused of betraying her country for failing to lose her baby weight

• Outrage sparked by photos showing Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who gave birth seven months ago, with double chin

• Fans say actress, 38, should lose weight fast 'like Victoria Beckham did'

By DEBORAH ARTHURS

PUBLISHED: 11:47 EST, 16 May 2012 | UPDATED: 15:12 EST, 16 May 2012

She is a former Miss World, a successful Bollywood star and married to the son of one of India's best-loved stars.

She found international fame in the Hollywood film Bride and Prejudice, and Julia Roberts billed her as the world's most beautiful woman.

Thanks to the notoriety such fame and fortune has brought her, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has become one of the most admired and revered women in India, and indeed the world. But such fame has come at a cost for the 38-year-old star.

Since the birth of her daughter in November last year, Aishwarya Rai has been open about the fact that she is in no hurry to lose the few extra pounds she gained during her pregnancy.

The model and actress, who won the Miss World title in 1994, defended her choice, saying she wanted simply to 'enjoy motherhood.'

But with the star, who married Abhishek Bachchan, the son of India's most loved film star Amitabh Bachnan in 2007, tipped for her 10th appearance at Cannes next week, furious speculation is mounting as to how she will look.

Commentators have been unkind, lambasting the star for letting her fans down.

Many have gone a step further, suggesting the star has a 'duty' to her fans to regain her pre-pregnancy figure.

One website posted a video of the star looking less than her usual svelte self, flicking between photographs of her pre-birth, and photos now.

Called 'Aishwarya Rai's shocking weight gain', the clip, which came accompanied by elephant sound effects, has been seen more than 500,000 times.

Dozens more videos in a similar vein have been posted, each with viewing figures in the tens or hundreds of thousands.

Comments left after the video prove that many of those watching have little sympathy for Aishwarya.

'She is a Bollywood actress and it is her duty to look good and fit,' one said. Another added: 'She needs to learn from people like Victoria Beckham who are back to size zero weeks after their delivery.'

It has opened up a debate in the country, and beyond, about the attitudes held towards women in the public eye.

'Aishwarya is like a goddess,' said showbusiness columnist Shobhaa D in the New York Daily News by way of explanation.

'She is held up as the ideal of beauty and so there is an expectation on her to look perfect at all times.'

'The role models being held up are Angelina Jolie and Victoria Beckham, but our body frames are different ' we have wider hips and curves ' so this whole business of looking desperately skinny two weeks after giving birth is a western import.'

Cinema professor Shohini Ghosh added that women in India were up against an almost impossible task.

'There is a glorification of motherhood in India and Indian cinema,' he told the paper. 'But people are confused because they don't know whether to glorify Aishwarya in her new motherhood or lament that she is not looking like a runway model.'

It's safe to say that far too many fall into the latter category, judging by the cruel comments flooding internet sites.

Some, however, have come out in defence of the star, saying that she, like any new mother, should be focusing on her infant, not her diet.

'She is a real women looking after a baby. We should be concern for her health and happiness especially if she is nursing the baby. Not the Western belief of expecting people in the spot light to lose all weight in month. If she? dieted what will happen to the baby's diet,' one said.

'That's because Aish is not one of those selfish ones who puts the focus on their bodies instead of their babies, which makes them moody and ineffective as parents,' another said. 'Kudos to you Aish for keeping it real and letting your baby have all the bonding and attention she needs with you. Enjoy your life.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2145340/India-slams-Bollywood-actress-Aishwarya-Rai-Bachchan-failing-lose-baby-weight.html#ixzz1v65Bs86u

Why is anybody bothered about her being slim or overweight 😕 and @ India slams 🤪🤣

well as long as shes not doing movies and shoving tht weight in our faces...

"Betraying her country."

Ok..leave her alone man... 😆

i am the last person to say something good about this woman but speaking on a general level; how can a star who just gave birth to some one be blamed for betraying a country! W*F! she is not playing a super-model in a movie with this figure, if she was bash her to death but she is on a break and she has the right to burst up as much as she wants!

Holy mother of Muhammed - the Mail is fu(king unbelievable!

What nonsense! People were shocked at the double chin pictures. But no one cares otherwise in the current economic scenario. Ash moti ho ya patli mainu ki?

Betraying her country? 😆

Originally posted by: chatpati900

'That's because Aish is not one of those selfish ones who puts the focus on their bodies instead of their babies, which makes them moody and ineffective as parents,' another said. 'Kudos to you Aish for keeping it real and letting your baby have all the bonding and attention she needs with you. Enjoy your life.'

@bold...ok tht comment is jus crossing the line by being judgemental👎🏼...wt is tht person trying 2 say?...any woman tht loses weight quickly doesn't care abt their baby or is an ineffective parent? oh pls... talk abt being judgemental... tht person obv doesnt knw the simple fact tht some people do NOT put on much weight after delivery...my cousin's like tht... u cudnt evn tel she was preggy at the time and evn after her baby she was very slim...it didnt evn look as tho she had jus had her baby... so u know its reali wrong to say tht ppl tht dont hav fat on their body after delivery hav lost their weight too quickly and are selfish...cos tht could b further from the real truth... bet u anything they wud neva hav sed tht if aish had lost her weight too quickly.