New Delhi: That wedding makeover can kill you is no longer a metaphor for exhaustion. It can kill you – literally. A 28-year-old man who wanted a better smile before his big day died at a clinic in Hyderabad last week. The police are investigating what exactly happened and who is to blame, but the tragedy serves to highlight a larger problem—of beauty and perfection.
In order to ‘look good’, men and women are opting for smile surgeries, lip fillers, facelifts, skin lightening, and even beard grafts. If platforms like Instagram are dictating what perfection is, then the beauty industry is feeding on our insecurities. These procedures are often marketed as nips and tucks that will enhance a person’s natural beauty. And they’ve become a staple in pre-wedding preparations. The need for perfection is magnified when we get married.
Wedding jitters
What’s disturbing is that no one is raising their voice against this. All these influencers who get views and comments on social media in the name of body positivity don’t dwell on this part of the beauty industry.
Some of these procedures last for six months and then you are back to your older self. At times they can go wrong and cause more damage to the skin and face. But the pressure is so high that people are willing to write off the risks and shell out lakhs for the perfect smile and dimpled cheeks.
An episode in Zoya Akhtar’s Amazon Prime Video series Made in Heaven depicted a young and accomplished woman convinced that she would look prettier if her skin was a few tones lighter. It took her future husband to step in and convince her that she was ‘perfect’ before she could accept herself. What does this say about our society?
Instagram is flooded with videos of people undergoing facelifts and influencers normalising a kind of beauty that can only be achieved through the judicious use of filters and Photoshop. But we refuse to accept that reel life is not real life.
This Hyderabad incident should act as an eye-opener for those seeking to ‘improve’ the way they look. Especially men and women caught up in wedding preparations. The scrutiny they are under makes them more susceptible to self-doubt.
Sure, take inspiration from the weddings of Bollywood couples like Siddharth and Kiara, Alia and Ranbir and all-time favourites Anushka and Virat. There is no harm in celebrating your special day, but don’t fall for unrealistic standards of beauty set by others. Especially not those who have an army of staff dedicated to making them look good.
Weddings are not about looking perfect but making the moment perfect with your loved one. And this can only happen if we accept ourselves and our partners. What comes after the wedding day is more important.
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(Edited by Theres Sudeep)