The swimsuit photo is a happy picture, not a sensual one: Shibla Fara

What did M’Town actresses do when trolls criticised Anaswara Rajan for posing in shorts? Everyone from Rima Kallingal and Parvathy to Anarkali and Ahaana turned the tables and created a trending hashtag saying ‘women have legs’. One year on, actresses Srindaa, Saniya Iyappan and Samyuktha Menon boldly post swimsuit pictures and thanks to our girls, the voices of criticism have dwindled.
Kakshi: Amminippilla actress Shibla Fara posted a bright swimsuit photo on Instagram on Tuesday and she says she is pushing the envelope as much for herself, as for other women, to build on her growing sense of confidence, and to push herself to do something she wants without being held back by negativity.Excerpts from an interview….
Shibla, you look stunning in the photo. Was there any nervousness about posting the picture?
The only thing I was scared about was that the picture would be used in other ways; particularly by trolls who would put it on their pages to mock it or say, ‘oh look, sexy pic’. Because this is definitely an attempt to show the finger to those who comment on people’s bodies, whether about being thin or dark or anything. People should have the freedom to do what they want with their bodies. If I want to do liposuction one day, I will; my body, my rules. It is purely about that.
And to this end, we shot it as a happy picture, rather than a sexy, sensual one. The stylist and photographer said to smile from the heart and do whatever I want in front of the camera. We had planned the look with a sheer shrug, but my stylist said it would be stylish without it. By then, I too was feeling confident and loved the ones without it.

Were you nervous about family reactions?
Not that I felt I had to take permission, but I video-called my husband, Vijit. He trusts the stylist very much and just asked, ‘Are you sure you want to do it? If yes, go ahead.’ I feel this sort of family support will help you to be bold. Some people are strong enough to not mind comments, but I feel it helps and is important.
My husband’s amma asked me if I wasn’t shy and I said, no I was ok, and she smiled.
A picture speaks a 1,000 words, what is your photo trying to tell us?
I am someone who went down to 67 kg from 85 kg. I don’t fit into society’s mould of what an actress looks like.
But this is my journey, and I make changes every day. Some days I’ll get lazy and eat what I want and at other times, I decide I must eat healthy for good reasons; I want my hormones to be balanced and my weight to come down. It’s personal. I have a mirror and know what I look like. I don’t need for people to point out that I’ve gained weight or whatever.
If you cover up, everything is sexual, including your hair. Bit by bit, now, people will get conditioned to these images and feel this is not a big deal.
How has the response to the photo been?
Actresses Arya, Priyamvada Krishnan and Marina Michael responded immediately and positively. A friend called and said she wanted to hug me for my role in breaking stereotypes. So, even in the industry, there are people who have wanted to see this happen on social media. I was ready to face the consequences, but am thrilled with the response.
I also don’t want to hear that I am doing it for attention or for roles, but I’m prepared for it.
These kinds of photos are a new experience for our society, so could you tell us what the shoot was like?
I approached this from an artiste’s point of view. I see series, where people perform with no inhibitions and I appreciate that. I am shy and have been conditioned to think my body isn’t great. It was a struggle to get to where I am now as a happy person, who can confidently convey that I can wear what I want.
I was fine at the shoot. When the photographer asked if I’d be more comfortable if others left the room for the shoot, I said that I was okay and that it was his call. I was feeling fine in my skin. The make-up man gave me the poses and he was really cool. So it was a nice crew and there was no awkwardness.
‘This brings a good change in society’

Allu Ramendran director Bilahari says these photoshoots have helped broaden views in society. “I recently posted a picture with my nephew, in which I was shirtless. I can be comfortable wearing or not wearing what I wish and am privileged as a man, as, obviously, there was not going to be any hate speech over it. And now, these shoots have become such a common trend, and trolls are condemned and caught out over their comments, with screenshots of their negative remarks being shared, that society has witnessed a good change and openness with women.”
Designer Diya John agrees. “When I started out, I used to design for the local crowd, but my clothes were bought by women in Mumbai and Bengaluru. Today, thanks to social media, our young women are becoming more confident. Thanks to actors putting out messages of body positivity and confidence, youngsters learn to look beyond socially conditioned norms, like height and fairness, and break barriers,” she says.
Photo credits: @iamsamyuktha_, @_saniya_iyappan_, @srindaa