Hira Mani believes husbands who taunt their wives are right because women end up losing weight

The internet has been very single-minded in its stance on unhealthy weight loss and body shaming but Hira Mani seems to have a different and rather strange take on the matter. The actor revealed her recent weight loss journey was fuelled by her husband Mani's constant taunts and comparisons between her and Bollywood actors such as Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. According to her, the body shaming was far more effective than what any trainer has done for her.

The couple made an appearance on Aik Din Geo Kay Saath's Eid special on May 3. When the conversation shifted to maintaining their physique, Hira talked about how her husband has played a big role in her shedding some pounds.

"He's made me lose weight — this time the weight I lost, I had no trainer for it. I had this trainer, Mani. And the weight he's made me lose, none of my previous trainers could do [that]. My weight had really gone up, Sohail saab, it was 64 kgs. He said 'chalo beta' [let's go, kid]."

Mani interjected that she'd seen her drama, which also had an effect on her work out motivation. "Yes, I watched my drama and thought 'Who is this aunty, so big?' Then Mani said 'let's go kid, I'll make you run' and he [reduced my weight by] 10kg in three months, something no trainer has done. My husband did it," said the Do Bol actor.

HIra explained the method her husband used to push her in shedding off the pounds. "He taunts me so much, he says 'Look at Katrina [Kaif], look at Kareena [Kapoor]' — now Kareena's fat, though — 'Look at Deepika [Padukone]'. I say that I'm not Deepika, I have two kids but he taunts me. I think husbands who taunt their wives are right, women end up losing weight," she said, thanking her husband.

Mani did not hold back from sharing his side of the story and revealed that his wife has started taunting him these days to get a hair transplant, comparing him with the likes of Bollywood actors, Hrithik Roshan and Shahid Kapoor. The couple then moved the conversation to the normalisation of plastic surgery in the industry, the Kashf actor saying she'll get her face done in about 10 years.

The Chupke Chupke actor was fully in agreement with his wife. Commenting on hair transplants, he said, "If we have the technology than I say why not? Careers would end for actors 20 to 25 years ago after their hair would shed. Now over half the industry has gotten hair transplants or are wearing wigs — it's a good thing, if their careers can continue to prosper then why not?"

There's so much to unpack in this inane conversation but we'll just say that beliefs like these set the body positivity movement back.

Hira ended up body shaming Kapoor, a mother in the post-partum phase of birth, setting even her against an outdated body ideal that demands women appear stick thin and undernourished. Even Kapoor, a woman known be a size zero, is over it and chooses a healthy lifestyle.

It is simply not okay for anyone, be it your partner or anyone else, to dictate what your body should look like and then shame you for what it does look like. No one except you should be calling the shots. Our bodies are under no compulsion to fit society's expectations of beauty, so please be kind to yourself and strive for a healthy and happy lifestyle instead.