Eating disorders are the best kept secret of showbiz.-Richa Chadda
Excerpts of Richas Speech on Eating Disorders from Ted talk
Ted X is a platform that helps people share ideas that will motivate and inspire others. Richa Chadha who made her Bollywood debut with the film Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye in 2008 has come a very long way. She gave an excellent performance in her recent film Sarabjit and is going to be seen in Cabaret opposite Gulshan Devaiah. Richa was invited by Tedx recently as she one of the youngest and the most influential woman in India. Richa spoke about how she thought she was beautiful and intelligent as a kid as she always wanted to become an actress. But as soon as she got into Bollywood her confidence had started to evaporate. She was told to gain weight, then lose weight, fix her nose and inflate her lips, get a boob job, lose the puppy fat, grow my hair out, or cut it, get highlights, or fake eyelash extensions, squat for a bigger booty, get fake gel nails, run in heels, wear spanx, pout will talking, focus on dilating the pupils, and listen attentively. The journey has been very difficult for her as an actress.
A part of her Ted talk says ,”Till I lived in Delhi, with my parents, I always felt beautiful and intelligent. It was only when I became an actor that I felt my confidence evaporate.
Self-doubt exists in everyone’s minds. But I do feel actors have it a lot worse. We deal with rejection on many levels on a daily basis. While we deal with civilian (yes, thats what I call people that don’t work in showbiz), issues, we also have to listen to in my cheeky humble opinion people that aren’t so blessed themselves tell you that YOU are very unsuitable looking. I was told I should gain weight, then lose weight, fix my nose and inflate my lips, get a boob job, lose the puppy fat, grow my hair out, or cut it, get highlights, or fake eyelash extensions, squat for a bigger booty, get fake gel nails, run in heels, wear spanx, pout will talking, focus on dilating the pupils, and listen attentively. I crumbled under the pressure like a wrecking ball had hit me.
Bulimia. That is the Big B that I spoke about. Anyone know what that is? It’s when you consistently hate what you look like, and compulsively induce vomiting, throw up all the food you eat, accompanied often by binge eating, general anxiety and sadness and believing basically that you are unworthy. What are the implications of it? You become drastically unhealthy, low on nutrition, with lack of sleep and basically overtime have little zest for anything at all. I hated myself, gained weight in a strange way and felt like a failure.
Eating disorders are the best kept secret of showbiz.
