Anoushka Shankar reacts to sexist comments on her pictures: “This body has survived child sexual abuse, four surgeries…”

Anoushka Shankar has not had it easy despite coming from an influential background. Daughter of renowned Sitar player Ravi Shankar, she recently reacted to sexist comments on her pictures by opening up about her difficult childhood experiences and health issues that she has fought with and come out stronger.

Anoushka, who is a popular Sitar player herself, shared screenshots of unpleasant remarks posted in her comments by social media users, with many asking her not to show her cleavage and to think about the family she comes from. Reacting to hate, Anoushka shared how she is grateful to her body for being resilient through many highs and lows in her life.

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Opening up about her health battles, she wrote, “This body has birthed two children, survived child sexual abuse and several dangerous situations with men, healed through four major surgeries, suffered through polycystic ovarian syndrome with heavy period pain and migraines from the age of eleven, made it through addiction, held me through battles with undiagnosed neurodivergence (and all its accompanying confusion, stress and exhaustion), fought and come to terms with an autoimmune disorder, and generally been a complete, badass warrior on my behalf.”

Anoushka shared her fight has been long and she wouldn’t let haters get away by ridiculing her. “I love my body, for everything it’s been through and everything it is. I’m keenly aware of what a fight it has been to get here. I haven’t got to this point, after all that, only to accept any banal, pathetic comments (male) strangers feel the need to bring into my orbit,” she added.