YouTuber Karthik (L), Gouri Kishan.
Credit: X/@Sugumar_Tweetz, Instagram/@gourigkofficial
YouTuber R S Karthik, who has been facing immense backlash from the film fraternity and fans of actress Gouri Kishan, apologised for the inappropriate question he posed forward to Kishan.
Karthik had asked a question to the actress' co-star, Aditya Madhavan, along the lines of, "You lifted her, how much does she weigh," leading to Kishan arguing on the relevance of the question.
Various names from the fraternity stood up in support of Gouri Kishan, including Chinmayi, Radhika, Pa Ranjith, Sarathkumar, and C Prem Kumar (director of '96). They took to social media to voice out her courage to stand up for herself against a question many found to be offensive in nature.
In a press conference for Kishan and Madhavan's film Others, the actress replied to Karthik's question, demanding to know its relevance to the film or the conference being held. "How does my weight concern you? How is it relevant to this movie? Every woman has a different body type. I will let my talent speak. I’ve only done character-driven films so far. I don’t need your validation," she argued.
"You are objectifying a female actor," she added. "This is not journalism, you are a disgrace to your profession."
Kishan voiced out saying she did not find it funny, as others mentioned the question was to be taken in a light-hearted manner. In an individual interview, she said that the same person had asked the same question in another event.
In response to the controversy, Karthik has apologized, stating that his question was 'misunderstood.' He said, "I did not ask the question with the intention of offending actress Gouri Kishan. My question was misunderstood. I apologize if she was offended."
Many fans find the apology to be half-hearted, with this controversy bringing to light once again on body shaming of actresses, in particular. The incident has put forward the need for media etiquette, discipline, and respect. As many actresses are speaking up about such questions being targeted towards them, Gouri Kishan is being supported by her fans and co-stars within the industry.
In a statement she made on November 8, she wondered if they would ask the same question, in a similar tone, to a male star, "I wish I had been asked about the movie -- the work I was there for. I cannot help but wonder if they would as a male actor the same, in the same aggressive tone," she said.
Kishan also acknowledged that as a public figure, she will be under public's eye. "As a public figure, I understand the scrutiny is part of my profession. However, comments or questions — direct or indirect — that target’s body or appearance are inappropriate in any context."
"It was important not only for myself but for anyone who has faced the same. This is not new but still prevalent—normalising body-shaming in jest while perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards," as she recognized how rampant such a mindset is within the industry.
"I hope this will be a reminder to anyone who has felt this way that we are allowed to speak up. We are allowed to express our discomfort, question when wronged, and work towards stopping this cycle," as she kept her calm around the situation and stood her ground.