A resurfaced interview of actor Ram Kapoor has gone viral, reigniting conversations around body image and sexism in the entertainment industry. The 51-year-old actor, best known for his roles in television dramas, made comments about his former Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi co-star Smriti Irani during a chat with Humans of Bombay, a clip from which was recently reshared by Brut India. While Kapoor began by speaking about body image struggles faced by actors, it was his remarks about Irani’s weight that have drawn sharp criticism online.

“She was my size as a woman and probably more successful than me,” Kapoor said in the clip, adding, “It’s just that she left earlier.” He went on to speak about Irani’s physical transformation over the course of Kyunki’s eight-year run, saying, “When she started Kyunki Saas and when she ended, she was huge… You see her in the first year of Kyunki to last year, you will notice she is as big as I am.”

Though he later clarified that Irani gained weight as part of embodying the character’s ageing arc, Kapoor’s commentary has left many uncomfortable. “She was just staying true to her character… she allowed herself to become bigger,” he said. “If she had continued in television, she would have been much bigger than me. But she left to join politics.”

Kapoor also noted that Irani “achieved success despite all that weight,” a statement which several netizens have called out as backhanded and patronising. One user wrote, “She legit acted through her pregnancies and looked beautiful at every stage. Why is her size even being discussed?” Another questioned, “She acted while carrying a child. Did you?” Many pointed out that such discussions perpetuate body shaming, especially when directed at women.

Others criticised Kapoor for attributing success to physical size, with one comment reading, “Did he just say success is directly proportional to a person’s literal size? What did I just hear?” Another wrote, “This reeks of arrogance since he’s lost weight. He’s implying everyone should look a certain way to deserve success.”

Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, created by Ekta Kapoor and starring Irani as the iconic Tulsi, was a defining show of Indian television. Irani, now Union Minister, recently marked the show’s 25-year milestone with a heartfelt post, calling it “an emotion, a memory, a ritual” that brought families together.

While Kapoor may have meant to praise Irani, the tone and framing of his comments have left many questioning the industry’s—and society’s—ongoing obsession with women’s appearances, even decades later.