No body shaming, please! : RJ Malishka

- 'A casting director told me that there is work for girls of all complexions on OTT. That also stuck in my mind. It took years for me to get even the slightest bit of work as an actress.'

Moon Bin's number one RJ Malishka is very popular not only for his radio program but also for his particular type of songs. The radio personality created a song 'Mumbai, Do You Trust BMC...' about potholes and traffic problems during the monsoon, which became a huge hit. Malishka has taken the Greater Mumbai Metropolitan Municipality in this song. Now this radio jockey has fulfilled her dream of becoming an actress by acting in a short film called 'Parde Ke Peecheh'.

Issues such as body shaming of women are woven in this short film. Malishka's character name is Kuhu. Kuhu finds it difficult to find love in this world that places too much importance on outward appearance. Malishka says, 'I have faced body shaming myself in real life. I hit puberty and my body was starting to fill out. I kept my hands on my chest. Feeling very insecure. You are easily influenced by people when you are young. People say what they like to you. They would tell me directly to my face that you look too fat, you are black, etc. As a teenager I used to feel very shy when I was told this, but now I listen to my heart. To those who say so, I ask, why don't you think about what might be going on with the person you say so? You fool the other man very easily, but you have no idea how deep it affects his mind, right?'

"There was a young man who didn't like my radio program," Malishka recounts. He started trolling me on social media. He would see all my posts and comment on my figure. This is how he started bodyshaming me. In fact people only pull your leg when you have something more than them, you are smarter, more successful than them.'

No radio jockey in India has seen star status like Malishka. Malishka is considered a role model for an entire generation of radio jockeys. She says, 'I already had the desire to become an actress, but at one point it was insisted that heroines should look a certain way in films. After the advent of OTT, such a mindset has changed a lot. A few years ago a director told me that he wanted a tall, slim and fair girl. This matter stuck in my mind. After a while a very big casting director told me that there was work for girls of all complexions. That also stuck in my mind. I was just waiting for the right platform and work. Acting in the short film 'Parde Mein Rahne Do' fulfilled my desire to act. Honestly, it took me years to get that much work.'

By saying this, Malishka concludes, 'People had a certain preconceived notion of me, but I knew very well that I could be a good actress. Of course, the role was definitely challenging for me. My nails were always long and sleek, but such glamorous nails did not suit my character. The director also told me that I look attractive because of the curly hair, when the role belongs to a straight girl. So I had to change a lot from my original look... but yes, I have to admit that working on this film has definitely made me adept at wearing dupattas and shooting bullets!'