Malavika Mohanan said she was body shamed for not meeting Malayalam film beauty standards

Malavika Mohanan recently opened up on facing discrimination for being skinnier than what was desired in the Malayalam film industry. The diva, who has made a mark in the Malayalam film industry such as ‘The Great Father’, ‘Pattam Pole’, ‘Christy’ etc, revealed that as the industry worships curvier women, she often encountered criticism for her lanky, athletic build.

In an interview with Instant Bollywood, the ‘Beyond The Clouds’ star reflected on the varying beauty standards in all of India’s film industries. She observed that in Malayalam cinema, being extremely slim is often seen as less attractive, while Bollywood tends to favor a fit, toned, and slender appearance.

On the other hand, Tamil and Telugu industries tend to appreciate a curvier figure, and she frequently receives compliments when she has gained a bit of weight.


This contrast highlights the diverse beauty standards within the Indian film industry and how these expectations have influenced her personal experiences. "In Bollywood, an athletic, tall, and slim physique is considered more appealing, but in Tamil or Telugu, if I lose too much weight, they'll say, 'You look nice, but you looked better with a little more weight," Malavika shared.

"I feel that in Malayalam, at that time, the concept of beauty was a little more centered around a curvy body, and I was very thin. I was a very skinny girl, so I was trolled a lot for that," she said.

On the work front, Mohanan was last seen in the Chiyaan Vikram-starrer ‘Thangalaan’. She also featured in the Hindi action film ‘Yudhra’ opposite Siddhant Chaturvedi. She will next be seen in the Tamil spy thriller ‘Sardar 2’ as well as the romantic comedy horror ‘The Raja Saab’ opposite ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ star Prabhas.