Emcure Pharmaceuticals’ Whole-Time Director and Shark Tank India judge, Namita Thapar, recently shared her personal experiences of being bullied during her childhood.
During an interaction at the India Today Conclave, she recalled the challenges she faced due to her appearance and expressed optimism about changing societal expectations for future generations.
(Also read: Shark Tank India judge Namita Thapar opens up about experiencing perimenopause)
Namita revealed that she was often teased as a child for being overweight and having acne. She also spoke about being mocked for her facial hair. “I was bullied a lot because I was fairly overweight and I had a lot of acne as well. I also got facial hair so a guy who used to call me the girl with the moustache in Marathi, of course,” she shared.
She pointed out that bullying is common among schoolchildren, affecting both boys and girls, though girls often face additional societal pressures. “I think stuff like that happens more to boys as well as girls when they’re in school. Girls a bit more because I think there’s a certain stereotype of being the pretty quiet.” she noted.
Hopes for a positive change
Despite her past experiences, Namita remains optimistic about the future. She believes that with each generation, societal expectations will evolve, leading to a reduction in bullying. “I’m very happy to see my friends, daughters. I think it’s changing. I’m an optimist and hopefully with every generation the expectations will change and the bullying will reduce,” she added.
Speaking up about health struggles
This isn’t the first time Namita Thapar has opened up about personal challenges. Earlier in 2024, she spoke candidly about her struggles with perimenopause. She first addressed the issue on Shark Tank India and later took to social media to raise awareness.
“Women don’t prioritise their health & don’t speak up. I’ve used the Shark Tank platform to speak about my experiences with mental health, IVF, fitness & now perimenopause. Most women are not aware of the symptoms or treatment options. Let’s get educated & take charge of our health,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Check out the post here:
In her post, she described the difficulties she faced, including heavy bleeding, discomfort, and anaemia, which caused her haemoglobin levels to drop to eight.
