In a world where looking ageless has become a silent expectation, actress and former VJ Shenaz Treasury, who is known for her performances in Ishq Vishk, Delhi Belly and Kaalakaandi, opens up about the emotional toll of perfection in showbiz. Speaking exclusively to ETimes, she traces her journey from being a teenage model to a Bollywood face, and why she now rejects the idea of flawless beauty.
Do you remember the first time you felt pressure to look a certain way in the industry?
So, I have been modelling since I was 16 years old. When I was in FYJC, someone came and picked me up, and I auditioned for an ad. I got it, and from there I started getting more ads — so I started off as a model.And since day one, there was always the pressure: “Oh, she’s… you know, like, just if you could lose 5 kgs.” It was always about losing weight for me. “Oh, she’s cute but she’s too plump, her face is a little chubby.” You know, I always got that.So yeah, since I was 16, I was always like… and at that time, you know, I was so young and vulnerable. I was always trying — putting myself on these crazy diets, working out, not eating, and all of that — just to, you know, look a certain way that was the industry standard.And now, looking back at the pictures, I was beautiful. I was young and cute. It’s just that I wasn’t the skinny model type, and that’s what they wanted me to be, even though they came and selected me. So yes, that was always the case.In fact, I remember once even going all the way to Nepal for a shoot, and the director was like, “Yeah, but your face is too big, it’s too round.” I remember feeling really sad and crying about it — which was completely not my fault.So yeah, that was the first time when I was very, very young, 16 years old.
Have you ever felt judged or sidelined based on how you looked rather than how you performed?
Well, it’s always been about how I look, from even my first movie, Ishq Vishk. I was supposed to be Alisha, the best-looking girl in school.In college, there was all that pressure too — you know, like Neeli neeli aankhon wali kaun hai wo — and then the director was like, “You’ve got to wear green lenses, you have to be perfect, you have to look great. Oh, you don’t look good in some angles; actresses are supposed to look good in all angles,” as if it was my fault.“Oh, you’re too fat, your belly is sticking out, you need to diet.” The other girl in the movie was so thin — they were padding her, putting pads on her — while they were trying to shrink me.So I was on some crazy diet. They wouldn’t let me eat, but then they’d be like, “Oh, here Amrita (Rao), have some chocolates.” It was so ridiculous. And it was so sad.Looking back, I can’t believe we had to go through those things. In fact, the world we live in today is much nicer to actors and more accepting of all shapes and sizes.The world we grew up in, in the 90s — oh my God, even in MTV — they were like, “Oh, you’ve put on weight. If you don’t lose weight, we’re going to give your show to Maria.” And they told Maria the same thing.
Have you personally ever felt pressure to undergo cosmetic procedures to ‘stay relevant’ or ‘camera-ready’?
For me, it was always pressure to be thinner. Yeah, that was always the pressure. Like, oh my God, you’re too plump, you’re too fat. If only you lost five kgs. So I did feel a lot of pressure, I have to say.Even when they would say things to me like, “Oh, you know, your belly’s sticking out. We have to cut around your belly.” They’d say things like this to me, you know, when I was shooting for my first film. And at that time, I would just cry myself to sleep, try to starve myself.And of course, that doesn’t work because I’d starve all day and then I would eat at night. I developed such unhealthy eating disorders. It was really, really difficult, especially when I was younger.I think all of that has made me stronger as I’ve gotten older. Now I’m very accepting of my face and my body. And I’m just like, okay, this is what it is. If you notice on social media, I don’t even wear makeup because I just want to keep it real and raw.And yes, I am blessed with good skin — touch wood — and I am blessed with, you know, like a baby face, so I don’t maybe look as old as I am. But at the same time, I think it’s also going through all of this when I was at a younger age that has made me stronger and not fall under the pressure of this whole… like, you know, these cosmetic procedures and stuff.
Is the demand for flawless beauty hurting the kind of cinema that values emotional authenticity over visual perfection?
Comments on older women’s pages that I see… I don’t feel like I blame them, or even women in general. It’s actually society that is making women like this—where they feel this constant pressure.Like, “Oh, you have to have a certain kind of face. Oh my God, you can’t have wrinkles.” Which is so crazy, because all our parents, everyone, had wrinkles.And also, the way society treats women at a certain age. I think women in their 50s and 60s are just ignored. Sadly, people just look away, and men go for younger women. That creates so much pressure on women.There is so much undue pressure on women. Look at the men—as soon as they turn 40, they’re balding, they have big stomachs. Women are still accepting of them. So how come men are not accepting of women?
Does the constant comparison—on social media, paparazzi shots, red carpets—affect how you see yourself physically?
More than red carpets, I think it’s these paparazzi shots. I mean, they are ridiculous. And now you see women dressing up for them, all like trying for the male gaze—you know, wearing all these tiny little tops and these, I don’t know what… like these huge boobs and huge ass.It’s so unnatural. It’s not even real. Like, that’s not how it is. Tiny waist, huge curves—how is this even possible sometimes? I think about it when I see them walking around with their dogs and stuff. It’s just… not real.But it’s all done for the male gaze. And it’s not the women’s fault—it’s society. It’s this pressure. Yeah, all women feel like they have to look exactly like that, like a Kim Kardashian. And it’s really not fair on women, all this pressure.I don’t follow paparazzi sites. I mute anything that I see that won’t uplift me. I don’t want to see that stuff. If I do, it just makes me feel like yuck. And I don’t want to feel yuck.
Do you believe Bollywood is slowly shifting toward more natural, authentic beauty ideals—or is that just a niche trend?
I think Bollywood is showing us very natural, real-looking men, but the women are still stunning and beautiful. So I don’t know, maybe I’m not watching the movies you’re talking about.
What message would you give to aspiring actors or young fans feeling insecure about their looks because of what they see on screen or on Instagram?
I would just like to tell young people that the ones who last in this industry—speaking as somebody who has been here for many decades—I think it’s not about looking perfect. It’s about talent, about being creative, and about showing up authentically.If you’re just going to juggle your boobs and show your ass—well, some people can make a career out of that. But not everybody. And very rarely does that last your entire lifetime. In fact, it probably leaves you with a lot of insecurities and scars.So just be real. Show up as you are. I think people will like you for who you are—your authenticity and your vulnerability—more than anything else. At least I feel that’s the case for me.Because, honestly, it’s not about your great ass or your amazing glass skin, which anybody can have nowadays with all the treatments in the market. That should not be your USP.
