Kareena Kapoor Khan Praises Kriti Sanon, Says “It’s Very, Very Brave of You” as She Calls Out Deep-Rooted Patriarchy

On Kareena Kapoor Khan’s What Women Want, Kriti Sanon opens up about the trolling over her choli, the scrutiny women face, and why standing up for yourself is important

Actor Kriti Sanon recently appeared on Kareena Kapoor Khan’s show What Women Want, where the two actors engaged in a candid conversation about women, online trolling, and the importance of standing up for oneself. During a segment where they responded to different situations as a ‘Boss Lady’ or a ‘Baddie’, Kriti opened up about the trolling she faced over her recent advertisement outfit, which sparked a larger debate around the scrutiny women face over their clothing choices.

Speaking about how she usually deals with online trolling, Kriti said, “I’m a boss. I don’t pay attention to any of the trolls. I don’t pay heed to them. I don’t feel like I need to justify anything because I don’t want to give them that attention. I let it pass. I don’t say anything to them. I don’t react. But, which is something that actually happened recently, where my choli became national debate. My God, I couldn’t believe for half the times that my choli become, like, a six-people panel discussion on prime-time news. And I was like, what is going on? And normally I don’t say anything. You know, the trolling had happened much before that. And that’s where I kind of felt like I needed to be a baddie.”

Kareena responded, “which was absolutely amazing.”

Kriti continued, “Thank you. But not for the fact that, you know, I felt like it was not about me. It was a much larger issue, where I feel like women are constantly under scrutiny for everything. And it’s only women who get targeted in the smallest things.”

Agreeing with her, Kareena said, “Yes, and it’s your choice what you want to wear, how”

Kriti added, “And what you want to wear, she’s too short, too tall, she’s put on weight, she’s looking too slim, she’s, oh, is she pregnant? How many times have you had to justify? Yeah, you had pizza and pasta and wine. (For kareena) What is going on? And, you know, just, I like this outfit, I don’t like this outfit. It’s fine. It’s an opinion.”Kareena interjected, “But now it’s gone to the next level”

Kriti responded, “the amount of hate that happens, what’s with the hate?”Kareena agreed, calling the trolling “that was very unnecessary.”

Kriti went on to explain why she believes women should not have to defend their personal choices, saying, “Like my sister was , You should turn off your commenting and all, and I was like, why? She was like, Oh, I’m getting, like, so, like, you know, just disturbed with all this. So I just feel like, and I feel it’s important for women to stand up for themselves because I feel like everything is such a question. And who has given this right to these people to be commenting on us for what? You know, what women actually want is to not be judged and for people to actually mind their own business.”

Kareena praised Kriti for addressing the issue on a platform dedicated to conversations around women, saying, “Well, there you go, because I think that coming from her and on this show, What Women Want, it’s a complete inspiration for Kriti to come here and say that, you know, this is exactly what.”

Emphasising that the issue extends beyond her own experience, Kriti said, “it’s also because it’s happened to multiple women, and actors are the easiest targets. It’s not just me. Recently it’s happened with multiple people, and it’s just so sad because we’re also human and it affects us, and it’s not fair. And it’s not fair to any woman.”

Kareena then told her, “I think it’s very, very brave of you to be a baddie. So you are a baddie.”

Kriti agreed, reiterating her belief in standing up for oneself and challenging the larger structures that perpetuate inequality. She said, “Yeah, when it comes to that. And I feel very strongly about, like, standing up for yourself. Yeah. Standing up for yourself and just, like, the gender inequality that exists and patriarchy is so, like, embedded deep that we need to kind of try to shatter it multiple times for it to break.”

Kareena concluded the exchange by agreeing with Kriti, saying, “No, absolutely correct.”

Through the conversation, Kriti highlighted how the scrutiny surrounding women’s appearances and clothing choices often goes beyond personal opinions and turns into targeted hate, sometimes extending to their families. Her exchange with Kareena brought attention to the need for women to be able to express themselves freely without facing abuse or being expected to justify their choices. As Kriti emphasised, standing up for oneself is not just a personal stance but also part of challenging the gender inequality and patriarchy that continue to shape public discourse.