Gouri Kishan calls out sexist question on her weight at press meet, wins praise online

Tamil actor Gouri Kishan, known for her roles in 96 (2018) and Karnan (2021), found herself at the centre of online discourse after a clip from a press meet in Chennai on November 7 went viral. The actor confronted a male journalist who had asked about her weight in relation to a scene in her new film Others, in which co-star Aditya Madhavan lifts her.

Gouri asked, “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.”

The journalist reportedly replied that the question was meant to be “light-hearted,” but rejecting that characterisation, Gouri remarked, “I did not find it funny. Stop normalising body-shaming.”

Her frustration was further underscored when she noted that she hadn’t been asked a single question about her character or preparation for the role in the film. "But everyone wants to know about my weight,” she said.

As the debate gained traction on social media, singer Chinmayi Sripada wrote on X: “Gouri did an amazing job. … No male actor gets asked about his weight.” Meanwhile, Aditya Madhavan later addressed the backlash, stating: “My silence didn't mean I approve of body-shaming of anyone... She didn’t deserve that. No one does.”

The incident underlines longstanding concerns in the industry about the objectification of female actors and the double standards in media treatment. Gouri’s outspoken stance has been widely praised as a moment of courage and an important reminder about respect in professional spaces, particularly cinema, where sexism and gender-based discrimination have been flagged by several uprisings and movements.