Old video: Did Samantha body-shame a fellow actress? Reddit users think so

Hyderabad: An old clip of Samantha Ruth Prabhu from the 2014 Telugu show Konchem Touch Lo Unte Chepta has resurfaced online and stirred fresh debate.

In the video, the anchor holds a face mask of actress south Namitha and asks Samantha, speaking as Namitha, how she too can become “slim and trim” like her. Samantha replies that there is a place called “gym” and she should go there. When the anchor jokes if it is in a restaurant, Samantha says to forget restaurants, find out what a gym is and go there. The exchange continues with more food related jokes, all at Namitha’s expense.

The clip is now being called out as body shaming, and the internet has reacted sharply. Some users slammed both Samantha and the anchor, calling the joke insensitive and unnecessary. Others said giving “gym advice” without knowing someone’s health condition was unfair. A few even called Samantha hypocritical, while some dragged the film industry for how women are often pitted against each other.

At the same time, not everyone agreed. A section of users defended Samantha, saying she was only 25 at the time and may have changed since then. Others argued that she was just suggesting fitness and not fat shaming.

That split is exactly why the clip is blowing up again. For many, it is a reminder of how casually weight based jokes were passed off as comedy on television.