Actor Gouri Kishan went viral after calling out a journalist for asking a sexist question about her weight during a press meet. She stood her ground and later issued a powerful statement against body-shaming and gender bias
Gouri Kishan
Actor Gouri Kishan recently went viral on social media after she called out a male journalist for asking an irrelevant question during the press meet for her recently released film. A YouTuber named Karthik had asked her director, Abin Hariharan, and co-star Aditya Madhavan about her weight. When Gouri called him out for his sexist question, he argued that it was meant to be “light-hearted.” What followed was a heated exchange between the two.
Gouri slams journalist for questioning her weight
At the Chennai press meet, Gouri was taken aback by the question about her weight. She called out the sexism reflected in the query, labelling it “stupid.” The argument escalated, with Gouri pointing out that she was the only woman in the room and was being unfairly targeted.
In the middle of the exchange, Gouri said, “How does my weight concern you? How is it relevant to this movie? Every woman has a different body type. I will let my talent speak. I’ve only done character-driven films so far. I don’t need your validation.”
When Gouri asked the journalist the same question in return, several media members defended him, claiming that since she was an actor in front of the camera, such questions were acceptable. She further highlighted the double standards, saying, “Would you ask such a question to a male actor? You are objectifying a female actor. This is not journalism—you are a disgrace to your profession.”
Gouri issues statement
After the video went viral and sparked debates online, Gouri issued a formal statement on the matter. “As a public figure, I understand that scrutiny is part of my profession. However, comments or questions—direct or indirect—that target a person’s body or appearance are inappropriate in any context. I wish I had been asked questions about the film, the work I was there for. I cannot help but wonder if they would ask a male actor the same, in the same aggressive tone. I am grateful for being able to stand my ground in a difficult situation.”
The statement further read, “It was important not only for myself but for anyone who has faced the same. This is not new but still prevalent—normalising body-shaming in jest while perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards. I hope this will be a reminder to anyone who has felt this way that we are allowed to speak up. We are allowed to express our discomfort, question when wronged, and work towards stopping this cycle.”
The actress also thanked all the organisations, including the Chennai Press Club, AMMA (All Malayalam Movie Artists Association), and South India Nadigar Sangam.
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