Actor Ayesha Khan has spoken about body shaming in the entertainment industry and the online harassment she faces on social media, revealing that she once lost a song opportunity because she was considered “fat” and continues to receive rape threats on Instagram.
Speaking at the We The Women event, the actor shared her experiences of dealing with body image pressures and constant sexualisation online.
Khan said that when she was in Class XII, she had been selected to appear as the second lead in a T-Series song, but was replaced shortly before the shoot because of concerns about her body size.
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According to Khan, the decision came just a night before filming.
"It took me a lot of time to become confident about my body," she said during the discussion.
'I am sexualised almost every day'
The actor also described the online harassment she experiences regularly, saying that social media users often comment on her appearance regardless of what she wears.
“I am almost every day sexualised for my body on Instagram,” Khan said. “If I wear a normal top, people have a problem. If I wear skirts, people have a problem.”
She explained that this attention sometimes makes her think twice before sharing images or videos on the Internet.
“If I have to think before wearing something or posting something just because someone else is going to sexualise me, that’s a very sad space to be in.”
Khan has also revealed that she gets rape threats on social media, and this experience is scary.
“I have had rape threats every day. It’s very scary because these are real people around us, not just anonymous comments,” she said.
She mentioned that this sometimes makes her feel fearful and anxious because of the thought that women can be in a state of vulnerability and nobody is there to support them.
Career journey
Ayesha Khan started as a junior artist before making a mark on television. Her television debut occurred when she acted in the television series Kasautii Zindagii Kay, which was produced by Ekta Kapoor. After this, she acted in the television series Baalveer Returns.
In 2022, Khan made her debut as a Telugu film actress when she acted as a supporting character in the film Mukhachitram.
Khan rose to fame after she appeared as a contestant on the reality television series Bigg Boss 17, which was hosted by Salman Khan, in 2023.
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After the reality television series, she gained further recognition with the YouTube series Dil Ko Rafu Karr Lei. Khan acted as a supporting character in the film Jaat and rose to fame for her performance in the song Shararat from Aditya Dhar’s film Dhurandhar, which also featured Krystle D’Souza.
Khan’s recent film appearance has been in Kapil Sharma’s film Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2, which earned 16.23 crores at the box office and had a budget of 35 crores.
