Fab Films And Shows That Promoted Body Positivity To Add In Your Watch List

For decades, films and shows have been used to enforce aesthetic standards, such as facial features, body types, and weight. This is true not only for women and men. Not only do films and shows promoting beauty frequently spill over into real life, making people self-conscious, but the portrayal of various natural body types and forms for fun is also disapproved of.

However, since the body positivity movement began a few years ago, both Hollywood and Bollywood have recognised that people come in various shapes, sizes, and colours and that you can accept yourself for who you are and how you appear. Here is a collection of shows and films that encourage body positivity that you should add to your watch list:

Shows And Films That Promoted Body Positivity:

Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls, 2022

The show will premiere worldwide on Netflix on March 25. Although Lizzo's Truth Hurts was released three years ago, most women still find it soothing and reassuring music. She is an outspoken musician who has created several songs about body acceptance and self-love. She's well-known for her support of body acceptance, and she's going to take it a step further. Lizzo's reality show will be searching for plus-size dancers. Women will compete for the chance to join Lizzo on her upcoming tour.

Thunder Force, 2021

In this Netflix superhero film, Octavia Spencer and Melissa McCarthy co-star. Thunder Force is one of the first films to portray plus-sized superheroes in a positive light, demonstrating that women of all sizes can save the world. Lydia (Melissa) injects herself with a super-strength serum by accident. She teams up with Emily (Octavia), who possesses the power of invisibility, to preserve the planet from miscreants.

 Chhapaak, 2020

Chhapaak is an Indian Hindi-language biographical drama film based on the true tale of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. The film depicts her journey from losing her face to maintaining her faith in the face of adversity. It's not just about accepting your weight; it's about accepting those aspects of yourself that society considers to be flawed. Laxmi (Deepika Padukone) has plastic surgery and decides to give life a second opportunity by looking for work. Meanwhile, she is engaged in a gruelling legal struggle to punish her criminals and prohibit the selling of acid on the open market. She faces retaliation, humiliation, and condemnation, but she vows to fight back for herself and other women in similar situations. It is available on Disney Plus Hotstar.

Still from Chhapaak

Orange Is the New Black, 2019

Orange Is the New Black (OITNB) is an American comedy-drama streaming television show that is both the most popular and the longest-running original series in the nation. It gained widespread recognition during its existence, with numerous awards for its depiction of various body types across its seven seasons, as well as for its honest treatment of non-traditional bodies. Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) is a woman who is sentenced to 15 months in a women's federal prison for drug trafficking. Her fellow detainees arrive in different shapes, sizes, and colours, and the story humanises them by highlighting their differences. It is streaming on Netflix.

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Bala, 2019

Bala is a satirical black comedy film in Hindi. The film is about a man who suffers from baldness and depicts the insecurity of men. It features Aayushman Khurrana as Balmukund "Bala" Shukla and Jaaved Jaffrey as Bala's best friend, Bachchan Dubey, portraying the worries of hundreds of men on screen. On the other hand, it depicts a dark-skinned woman, Bhumi Pednekar as Latika Trivedi. The world around her frequently shames her for it, but she is unconcerned about it and likes herself exactly as she is. It is available on Disney Plus Hotstar.

Shrill, 2019

Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman is an American comedic streaming television show based on West's book of the same name. Annie Easton (Aidy Bryant) is a struggling journalist who wants to improve her life but not her appearance. After being fat-shamed by colleagues and her fitness trainer, Annie tries every tactic to lose weight in the first few episodes. She eventually realises that she has the power to love herself exactly as she is, regardless of what others think. It is available on Amazon Prime Video.

Isn't It Romantic, 2019

Isn't It Romantic is a meta-romantic comedy film from the United States. Rebel Wilson wakes up in a RomCom version of her life after a robbery goes tragically wrong. People start singing at random, she wakes up with flawless hair and a perfect make-up face, and scenes keep cutting as if she's in a movie. This film is one of the greatest for advocating body positivity because it focuses on Natalie (Rebel Wilson) acquiring self-confidence and combating the assumption that she wasn't cut out to be in the spotlight or experience Pretty Woman-style love. It is available on Netflix.

Tall Girl, 2019

Tall Girl is a young-adult American rom-com. At six feet one and a half inches tall, Jody (Ava Michelle) is the tallest person in her school. Her schoolmates' continual bullying makes her self-conscious about her height and causes her to lose her self-esteem. When a Swedish exchange student who is the same height as her arrives at their school, she begins to feel less alone and hopeful that she will finally find someone who will accept her for who she is. She finally realises that her insecurities about her height are unfounded, and she has no reason to be ashamed of it. It is available on Netflix.

Aafat, 2019

This MX Player Original series attempts to convey the narrative of five dysfunctional women, each of whom is dealing with a different difficulty that society has imposed upon them. Ricky Malhotra, a young and attractive man, is on the lookout for his "ideal bride." He is presented to five women, but each of these firebrands has a unique quirk that society stereotypes as a flaw. Women who are hairy, bald, foul-mouthed, overweight, and divorced. This comedy takes a lighthearted look at arranged weddings and what society considers to be "ideal bride" material.

I Feel Pretty, 2018

I Feel Pretty is a comedy film from the United States. Renee (Amy Schumer) had always felt unattractive until an accident during a spin class changed her mind. She was still the same person to the rest of the characters and the viewer, but she was convinced she had finally found the body of her dreams. She became braver, bolder, and happier as a result of her increased confidence in her appearance, and she went after all she desired without hesitation. I Feel Pretty had a message about body positivity underneath the comedy, even if it was presented in a convoluted and imperfect manner that offended some viewers. It is available on Netflix.

Dietland, 2018

Dietland is a dark comedy-drama television series shown in the United States. It follows Plum (Joy Nash), an aspiring writer, on her path from insecurity to self-assurance. Plum's unrealistic beauty standards are shattered as she gains confidence and learns to appreciate her body. The underlying theme is one of self-acceptance, despite the fact that it isn't always an easy road to travel. It is available on Amazon Prime Video.

Fanney Khan, 2018

Fanney Khan is a musical comedy film in Hindi that was released in India. The film tells the narrative of Lata Sharma, a young girl played by Pihu Sand, who aspires to be a singer. Her heritage, as well as her weight, is, however, a major roadblock in her career path. She can't break into the industry since she doesn't have the right appearance. The film closes with society applauding Lata and Prashant's (Anil Kapoor) efforts to make their daughter a singer. It is available on Amazon Prime Video.

Glow, 2017

Glow is a comedy-drama show that airs on Netflix in the United States. Glow, hailed as one of the most prominent shows supporting body acceptance, portrays women of various races, shapes, sizes, and colours who love themselves for who they are. The three-season series features a varied cast of breakout characters and is based on one of the most body-positive wrestling companies of all time, Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling(2019).

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Girl's Trip, 2017

In the film Girl's Trip, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall, and Tiffany Haddish star as four best friends who reunite for the first time in years for an epic vacation filled with fun, liquor, and drama. The four women flaunt their various bodies to perfection, exuding an astounding degree of confidence in their appearances. Each of them depicts a distinct sort of woman and advocates body acceptance. As the film highlights the beauty of varied body types, their confidence is a true game-changer in encouraging people to accept and love their own bodies. It is available on Amazon Prime Video.

Shaandaar, 2015

Shaandaar is a romantic comedy in Hindi that was released in India. Isha Arora, played by Sanah Kapur, becomes increasingly enraged with Robin, who escalates the conflict by insulting Isha's weight and making fun of her. Although the Aroras are upset by Robin's treatment of Isha, they choose to ignore it in order to keep their business relationship with the Fundwanis intact. The film depicts a body-conscious bride receiving all of her family's support, making her feel more secure. It is available on Amazon Prime Video.

Sanah Kapoor in Shaandaar (Indian Express)

Dum Laga Ke Haisha, 2015

Dum Laga Ke Haisha is a 2015 Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film that was released globally as My Big Fat Bride. The film depicts a husband who dislikes his new wife, Sandhya Tiwari, played by Bhumi Pednekar because she is fat. The woman, on the other hand, does not accept nonsense he throws her way and takes a stand for herself. It is available on Amazon Prime Video.