Diana Penty has always been admired for her effortless style, elegance, and striking screen presence. But behind the glamour, the actress has had her share
of struggles growing up. In an exclusive chat with Zoom while promoting Do You Wanna Partner, Diana opened up about being body-shamed as a child and teenager, not for being overweight, but for being “too skinny.”
Diana reveals she was traumatised by body shaming
The actress revealed that her relationship with her body during her formative years was far from easy. “I, for the longest time of my growing up years, struggled with my weight in the opposite way that most people do. So, a lot of people don’t relate to it but skinny people out there will. That it’s equally psychologically traumatising when you are skinny. And you have grown up like that. Because I grew up very conscious of my body. Very conscious of being as skinny as I was, and I tried very hard for the longest time to put on weight. And it just never happened,” she shared.
Diana explained how harsh remarks left a lasting mark on her self-esteem as a child. “And you get called out for the opposite things. Like people call you all sorts of things. And it’s really scarring as a child, you know, to have people say the things that they do. Call you like khamba and carrom board. It’s not nice and especially when you are young. I mean you don’t have the equipment to deal with that kind of negativity. It’s equally damaging to a child. People used to come up to me and say, ‘Oh your mother doesn’t feed you,’ and then they go to my mom and say, ‘She’s so skinny, you don’t feed her.’ I mean just the most ridiculous thing to say to somebody, yeah,” Diana recalled.
ALSO READ: Tamannaah Bhatia Got Only 5 Scenes In Mainstream Commercial Cinema: Was Remembered Because... - EXCLUSIVE
Diana went to gym to gain weight
Despite the hurt, the actress decided to take control of her body image in her college years. “When I was in college, I started working out. I went to the gym for the first time. And I used the gym for the opposite. I used the gym to put on muscle so that I looked bigger. Slowly as I got older, I think I filled out a little bit automatically. But I still go through those stages where I look at going to the gym to gain muscle. And of course, as a result also get stronger, fitter and you know that’s a by-product of it. But if you want to look at it in a completely vain manner. For me building muscle is to look a little bigger and filled out,” Diana said.
The actress also confessed that her love for food has never dimmed despite her struggles with body image. “But having said that, I am also a foodie. I love to eat. And I am also a little grateful that I can eat without putting on weight so far,” she added with a smile.
By speaking openly about her journey, Diana Penty sheds light on a less-discussed side of body shaming - being labelled for being too skinny.
Watch the full interview here:
