18 June,2026 01:51 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Khushbu Sundar daughter Anandita (Pic/Instagram)
Actress and politician Khushbu Sundar's daughter, Anandita, has candidly addressed the years of scrutiny surrounding her dramatic weight loss and appearance. In a recent interview, she dismissed assumptions about using Ozempic or undergoing surgery while also opening up about the online abuse she has faced since her teenage years, including being compared to a transgender person as an insult.
Speaking on the JFW podcast, Anandita revealed that both she and her elder sister, Avantika, had always been "chubby kids" and struggled with obesity. Their decision to lose weight stemmed from health concerns.
"I think a lot of people don't realise that it wasn't sudden. I started losing weight in 2018 or 2019, so it took me seven years to get here. There was also COVID, so no one really saw the process. My first major weight loss happened over three years during the pandemic. Everyone assumes I have done this or that, or that I have had surgery. But people haven't seen us all these years. How do they decide these things?" she said.
"When I was 19, I started working. I had a very privileged and cocooned upbringing, and suddenly I was thrown into a high-pressure job as an assistant director. The physical and mental demands, late nights, and constant pressure took a toll. I worked with Mani Ratnam on Ponniyin Selvan and later on Thug Life. Around that time, I also suffered multiple fractures outside the sets. That's when I realised I needed to focus on my health and lose weight," she continued.
"Now people see me, and they're like, âOzempic, Mounjaro...' I laugh about it because they make up stories. I realised that the hate will never stop; it will never stop. I never lost the weight to please other people. But to get that ungodly amount of hate at that age - no one realised we're talking to a child. I was 15 years old. My parents were celebrities, not me. Why do you feel entitled to tell me how ugly I am?" she said.
She also opened up about the comments she regularly receives on social media, saying some users frequently compare her to a transgender person. Reacting to such claims, she said, "See, I think transgender people are beautiful, right? I think they're great. I think they're so nuanced and beautiful. But when I open Instagram, people's favourite âinsult' to use with me is that I look like a trans person. So, this is not only mean to me. You're also homophobic. You're also ignorant. I don't think being trans, or looking like a trans person, is an insult, right? I have developed a thick skin, but isn't that such a sad thing?"
