“I use full body makeup to match my face color to my body.” Sameera Reddy reveals that she became ‘two to three shades lighter’ in her debut film ‘Maine Dil Tujhko Diya’ with Sohail Khan | Hindi Movie News:

Sameera Reddy revealed that she was made two to three shades lighter and wore padded bras, bum pads and colored lenses during her debut film ‘Maine Dil Tujhko Diya’. She struggled with body image and skin color insecurities well into her 40s, recalling the crew’s body shaming. Reddy is married to Akshai Varde, with whom she has two children.

Sameera Reddy returned to Hindi cinema earlier this year after a 14-year hiatus, featuring in Abhijeet Mohan Warang’s political drama ‘Aakhri Sawal’ alongside Sanjay Dutt. The two had worked together before, 24 years ago, in Reddy’s first film, Sohail Khan:The 2002 action-romance ‘Maine Dil Tujhko Diya’. Now, in a recent interview, the actor shared that he faced bias because of his skin color in the past.

Sameera: Reddy made shades lighter

Speaking to Hauterrfly, Sameera revealed, “In my first film, Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, I was made two to three shades lighter. I was almost grey! I used full body makeup to match the color of my face to my body,” confessed Reddy. “Do you know how many women have this in their own families? Her own parents and in-laws say, ‘You’re either dark or fat.’ “What! Who gives the definition of beauty?”

Sameera Reddy has been battling uncertainty for years

She also opened up about how it took her more than two decades to make peace with her insecurities, which go beyond her skin color. “The confusion of what I have to represent, what I sell, and who I am – I have to say that it was only in my 40s that I broke it! It took me 20 years because in all those years, I only wore bras, bum pads, and colored lenses,” said the actress.Reddy added, “I’ve always been ‘pleasantly plump’ since childhood, as I like to put it. When I lost weight, I was told, ‘Your bum is flat.’ Now, I can laugh about it. I struggled until my 30s with my identity that I’m not fair, I’m not light eyes, and I’m not very tall! I keep walking because my hero is not tall. But now I’m like, ‘That’s not my problem, bro! You’re wearing heels!’ At that time, such was the problem. So, what do you do? You hurt the girl.”

Sameera Reddy body shamed on set

Sameera Reddy also shared that even women assistant directors used to embarrass her in her early days in the industry. “Even the clothes designers told me from the beginning that I should do something about it. So, all my clothes have built-in bras with pads. And I tell you that I am the best collection of pads! I was told many times, ‘How many times should we try on pads, Sameera? Just do it. What will it get?'” said the actor?

About Sameera Reddy’s personal life:

Sameera Reddy is married to businessman Akshai Varde, and the couple has a son and a daughter.