Somy Ali: There is unbelievable societal pressure to look perfect at all times more so for famous people that we all have no control over

 
It is often difficult to accept the changes that our body and skin go through as we age. Probably, it affects more when one is a public figure, hence that leads to the use of filters while clicking as well as editing photos. Somy Ali opines the increasing use of filters by most, even by the youth, has made it difficult for us to accept our realities and flaws. The Bollywood actor turned humanitarian, who now runs her NGO, No More Tears, talks about it.
 
“There is unbelievable societal pressure to look perfect at all times, more so for famous people that we all have no control over. And the creators of these filters learned this severe insecurity we all walk around with and make millions solely based on people wanting to hide their flaws. There is an entire psychology behind the filter creation industry with surveys conducted particularly for and by women who immediately fell in love with being able to use a filter to cover their flaws. And I am equally guilty of using a filter here and there to cover my dark circles which I inherited from my father. If it makes people feel better and more confident about their looks then why not? I am in no place or position to judge them as it is completely their choice to make. Keep in mind, even in the Hindi film industry softer lenses are used for female actors by cinematographers to make their features appear less harsh. Thus the filters on our cell phones are not a new concept, if you really give it some thought. This is why on a film set it takes hours to get the correct lighting for actors to make them look better than they already look,” she says.
 
Ask if her usage of filters might be setting the wrong precedent to her followers and Somy answers, “Not really because if I post a photo of myself, I want to feel confident enough and it has to be to my liking. Also, there are tons of people who are using the filters to enhance their looks or hide their flaws. There is nothing wrong in doing so, but if you are going overboard and you become unrecognisable then you have a real problem at hand similar to any obsession. The same way people are crossing the lines with plastic surgery. Again, I have nothing against anyone engaging in voluntary surgeries to eradicate their insecurities, but I do advise them to conduct thorough research before letting someone inject anything in their body. It can lead to a slippery slope and in some instances has ruined many faces and bodies because the doctor was not skilled enough.”
 
On whether she ever thought of completely giving up on it, Somy replies in negative. “I have not thought of posting a raw picture as of yet because I don't feel confident enough in doing so. I have no qualms in admitting my insecurities in this case. And I definitely don't judge anyone else for doing the same either as that would deem me to be a hypocrite. Filters are here to stay and the industry of the creators is coming up with all sorts of innovative ways to lure not just celebrities, but even a layperson to fully indulge in their usage,” she adds.