I Am Enough

Trolls can go take a walk as far as Sarah Jane Dias is concerned. In a candid conversation with Ruchi Chopda, the actor, VJ, host, and former Miss India talks about what kept her going when she was battling body shaming at the workplace and how she tackles unsolicited comments

- Ruchi Chopda

It was her final year of college and Sarah Jane Dias was getting ready to participate in a fashion show, when, on her way to the rehearsals, she got hit by a car. Fortunately, some girls, who were also part of her fashion show, rushed her to the hospital. But the accident brought on a whole lot of problems including weight gain, PCOD, and an eating disorder. The problem not only took a toll on her mental and physical health, but also her professional life. On multiple occasions, by multiple people, mostly in public, work-related scenarios, Dias was told she was fat. In 2006, she was let go from a TV show because of her weight. We catch up with the spirited actor and VJ to speak to her about the aftermath of her accident and how fat shaming at the workplace impacts women.

Tell us about your accident and its aftermath.

It was a hit-and-run case. I was initially misdiagnosed and lived with a bad knee for about four years. Later, when I had a fall at the Miss World contest, I realised that there was something wrong. I went to a senior expert who told me that I had a torn ligament that had now retracted into my cartilage, and that this was causing severe problems with the rest of my body.

The accident brought on issues like weight gain, an eating disorder, PCOD, etc. How did you deal with this?