PHOTO: FILE
Bollywood actor Bhumi Pednekar made an unglamorous debut with Dum Laga Ke Haisha (DLH), opposite Ayushmann Khurrana. Instead of following the trend and looking her best for her first role, the star broke stereotypes by choosing a role that required her to put on heaps of weight.
Bhumi has previously spoken about how she wanted to work as an actor “since the age of twelve.” However, she went on to express her lack of confidence regarding an acting career as she “was never a slim person and could not hope for a break as a conventional heroine.” Bhumi shared that she got a job with Yash Raj Films, as an Assistant Casting Director, because she “liked the concept of being somewhere close to films.”
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Her dreams became reality when she was offered the female lead in DLH, which required her to put on another 15 kilos despite her already plump figure. The actor was overjoyed and agreed to the role as she could eat as much as she wanted, which was her favourite thing to do. “I was being pampered and fed all the time. The foodie in me was thrilled, and the actor in me wanted to do it right."
When girls her age were preoccupied with weight loss programmes to get into skinny jeans, she was devouring double cheese pizzas. "I was never a skinny girl and was tinkering with the idea of knocking off some weight to get fitter. Along came DLH and I was blown away by the script. It was a gamble, but I'd never give up on an opportunity like this. I didn't have a doubt,” said Bhumi.
PHOTO: INDIA TODAYTo prepare for the role, the Toilet star shared her diet regime, “I was told to put on about 15 kilos in six months. Now those were the best six months of my life because I was told to eat, eat and eat! I love bahar ka khana and can have it every single day. I was finally over 85kg, almost touching 90. I am a complete foodie and even put ghee on my rotis every single day!”
However, as soon as she got the green signal, she shifted gears. After the shooting for the film was complete, she managed to drop all those kilos and more! It was time to say goodbye to butter chicken and hello to a home-grown diet plan. "Post that, I went Ninja," she said, "I had a lot of weight on my body, so I could not launch into high intensity exercises right away. I had to condition my joints and prep myself for it."
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Her routine included a variety of workouts, "I like to keep it interesting with a lot of variety. Even today, I dance to Bollywood tunes, it is high intensity cardio and a great way to tone up," shared Bhumi.
As the actor is aware that her weight loss story is a point of conversation, she is careful not to confuse the notion of being thin with being fit, reports India Today. "In real life, I am not inspired by the idea of being a certain size. I've never been a skinny girl. Yes, if a role requires it, I might work towards it."
She continued, "When I was overweight, my back hurt and my ankles would swell up. It wasn't the weight itself but the problems it brought along that bothered me. What I love about my current size is that I am comfortable, not bloated or achy," she quipped.
"When I looked in the mirror I thought I looked stunning! My life had not changed, I got enough attention. I was very happy and attracted good energy. I wore the clothes I wanted to, partied and had fun." That unflinching confidence, she says, is what her parents have instilled in her. "They've always been supportive of our choices, giving us no real reason to rebel."
PHOTO: INDIA TODAYLife on the other side of the size-divide threw a few unsavoury moments, when people who did not know she was preparing for a role would come up and ask her if she was depressed or unhappy. "That hit me! The experience was an eye-opener. I could sense a shift in the way people looked at me, there were some jokes too. But I was so full of myself that it didn't bother me."
“If you want something, don't wait for a Monday to begin working for it. Just show up. I just woke up each day and showed up at the gym. I decided to never break this resolve, so there were days when I would merely take a steam and sauna and potter around. But I was there, soaking in the energy. There's no dearth of excuses when the motivation is down. I knew I had to push past this.”
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