Katrina Kaif has once again found herself at the centre of online discussion about her appearance following the birth of her son. While the actor has not publicly responded to the comments, several fans and celebrities have spoken out against scrutiny of her postpartum body.
Actor-politician Khushbu Sundar is among those defending Katrina, questioning why changes in a woman’s body are so often treated as a matter for public discussion. In a detailed note shared on Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, Khushbu also compared the way ageing and physical changes are discussed for men and women.
Khushbu Sundar Questions the Obsession With a Woman’s ‘Prime’
Khushbu questioned why women’s bodies are frequently treated as if they are open to public commentary, particularly as they age.
She asked why women are measured against an idea of their “prime” and questioned whether the same standards are applied to men.
“But where is this obsession when it comes to men?” she wrote.
Khushbu then highlighted what she sees as a difference in the language used to describe ageing in men and women.
“A man goes bald, he is ‘distinguished.’ A man develops a 40 inch waist, nobody asks what happened to his ‘prime.’ A man grows grey or completely white hair, suddenly he is ‘salt-and-pepper handsome,’ ‘mature,’ ‘charismatic,’” she wrote.
She argued that men are often allowed to age without their changing appearance being treated as a loss of value.
“But a woman ages, and suddenly every wrinkle, every kilo, every grey hair and every change in her body becomes a subject for public debate,” Khushbu added.
‘Who Decided When a Woman Has Passed Her Prime?’
Khushbu also questioned who gets to decide when a woman has reached or passed her so-called prime.
Her comments came in the context of the discussion around Katrina’s appearance after motherhood. She challenged the expectation that women should return to their pre-pregnancy appearance or maintain the same body throughout their lives.
The actor-politician argued that motherhood naturally comes with physical changes and that women should not be expected to provide explanations for them.
Khushbu Says Katrina Kaif ‘Was, Is and Will Always Be Beautiful’
Expressing her support for Katrina, Khushbu wrote, “#KatrinaKaif was, is and will always be beautiful.”
She also connected the issue to her own experiences with changes in her body and the criticism she says she has faced at different stages of her life.
“I, as someone who has personally experienced the changes that come with motherhood and body transformation, I understand this journey deeply. I know what it feels like to be judged for your body,” she wrote.
Khushbu recalled being ridiculed when she was heavier and said that even after losing weight, she has faced speculation about how she achieved the change.
“Today, after losing weight, I am asked, or rather the society has confirmed I am on injection doses. How many of these people from the society have paid for me to procure these injections?” she wrote.
‘You Owe Nobody an Explanation for Your Body’
Khushbu’s message to Katrina was that the actor does not owe the public an explanation for her appearance, weight or experience of motherhood.
“Katrina, you have always lived your life on your terms, with dignity, grace and self-respect. Continue to do exactly that,” she wrote.
“You owe nobody an explanation for your body. You owe nobody an explanation for motherhood. You owe nobody an explanation for weight gain. You owe nobody an explanation for how you look now,” she added.
Khushbu concluded her note by challenging the idea that women have a defined period of peak beauty or relevance.
“They say ‘beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder’. And you certainly owe nobody an explanation for how beautiful you choose to be. A woman does not have a ‘prime.’ She has a life. And every age of that life belongs to her. More power to you, woman,” she wrote.
Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal Welcomed Their Son in 2025
Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal welcomed their son, Vihaan Kaushal, in November 2025.
The actor has kept her family life largely private, while her appearances following motherhood have occasionally prompted online discussion about her appearance.
