It seems like body shaming and being all up in women’s business and telling them what they’re doing is not “acceptable” is a favorite of people on the internet. Pakistani actresses are a particular target of that kind of judgment from the general public.

Hareem Farooq is one Pakistani actress has been a target of fat shaming and criticism from a lot people

In a recent interview, Hareem got extremely candid about her weight loss journey in the past year. She revealed that she lost around 25 kilograms in over a year.

Hareem said she is a confident person and her whatever her weight is, it’s for her own sake

She has always been a body positive person and believed that exercise on daily basis highlights commitment and self care.

“If you’re not happy with who you are, you will never be happy with anyone else. I was concerned about myself as far as energy and stamina is concerned. I got into an accident, which resulted in a broken arm. For a year and a half, I was unable to do anything. I just jumped back into work without thinking I need time to recover because I didn’t care about myself. In retrospect, that was a stupid decision.”

Hareem also opened up that her weight loss was important for her because of health concerns

“My priorities were fat loss (not weight loss) and strengthening because I have a lower back issue. In the past, I couldn’t sit for long periods, I don’t have that issue anymore, it’s something we worked on. We worked on the right arm that I had broken; I couldn’t pick up much weight from it before. Now I can feel the difference. It’s not just fat loss, other things have become better”.

Despite her success people chose to body shame her However, she only had one message for all those body shamers

“To be very honest, I’m here to prove a point. I was 25 kg heavier, my talent was there, I was welcomed, people accepted me, I was getting projects and doing everything I wanted. I’m 25 kg lighter and it’s the same. My fat cells have nothing to do with my skill. What I stand by still is that physicality is something that is secondary. Whether I’m tall, short, skinny, overweight, none of that affects my talent, my skill. What it impacts is how people perceive me and that’s what I want to change.”

The message that Hareem gives out in her interview is very important. A person’s number one priority should be to be comfortable in their own skin. They should be the ones deciding if they want to change anything about themselves. No one is allowed to tell them what physicality suits them better. And at the end, talent will always overpower physicality. Hareem is a proof of that.

Cover image via: classycapitalmag.com