Avika Gor who started her carrier as a child artiste on the silver screen was recently in news for refusing to endorse a fairness cream. The reason behind refusing the advertisement was that she doesn’t want to encourage unrealistic beauty standards. In an interview with BT she talked about it and said, “Unfortunately, we have been fed the wrong notion when it comes to the idea of an ideal beauty standard. Over the years, we have seen so many advertisements where being fair is considered to be beautiful and I have never been comfortable with this idea, as your skin tone cannot determine your talent. As an actor, it was a conscious decision to not degrade anyone but to send out the right message. For me, beauty is all about being comfortable and happy in your skin,”
Last year Avika surprised everyone with her drastic weight loss transformation. Talking about the experience she says, “There was a time when I was appreciated for my work but I still doubted my talent, felt ugly and didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. I couldn’t figure out where I was going wrong and it took me two-three years to get rid of my weight. Initially, I would become very impatient as I wanted instant results and would be left disappointed. But the day I shifted my perspective, it all changed. I started working out, eating right and kept myself mentally happy. Along with my body, I also had to train my mind to be patient and persistent. Slowly, I started pushing my body’s limit and was amazed by its remarkable results.”
Avika is currently focused on her Telugu films, she says, “I would love to be part of meaningful Bollywood films. But I believe that before I do Hindi films, I must have relevant experience of all the nuances that go into making a film and that is why I decided to act in Telugu films. Telugu cinema experiments a lot with content and this has definitely helped me in becoming a better actor.”
She further adds, Avika adds, “I was offered my first Telugu film Uyyala Jampala in 2013 when I was shooting for Sasural Simar Ka. Initially, there was a language barrier and working in a new environment was difficult. When I saw the result, it really made me happy. After my last film in 2019, I have shot a few films which are ready for release and I already have six films in my kitty. Hence, doing a Bollywood film or a Hindi TV show is not on the cards right now.”
Talking about social media and trolls that come along with it, Avika says, Avika says, “I’m blessed to have fans who have been very supportive and pleasant to connect with. I think they still see me as that small girl Anandi (from Balika Vadhu). Even in the initial days of my weight loss journey, I never got any rude comments. I am really blessed to receive so much love from my fans.”