Highlights:
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Vidya Balan was asked to lose weight to look younger than Shahid Kapoor in Kismat Konnection.
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She said such pressures from filmmakers continued until 2019.
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Her efforts to lose weight through diet and exercise were unsuccessful due to an undiagnosed hormonal issue.
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A customized anti-inflammatory diet plan helped her lose weight without harming her health.
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Vidya Balan now rejects body-shaming and insists on being cast without having to change her body.
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She continues to challenge industry norms around appearance and age.
Actor Vidya Balan has spoken openly about the pressure she faced to lose weight early in her career, specifically ahead of the 2008 film Kismat Konnection, in which she starred opposite Shahid Kapoor. In a recent interview, Vidya Balan said that a member of the production team explicitly told her to shed weight because Shahid was younger than her.
“Someone actually called me and said, ‘You’re being cast opposite Shahid, who’s younger than you. So you must look younger than him on screen.’ That meant shedding weight,” Vidya Balan recalled.
Shahid Kapoor is two years younger than Vidya Balan. Although the film, directed by Aziz Mirza, did not perform well at the box office, the incident has remained an example of the kind of appearance-related expectations often placed on female actors in the Hindi film industry.
How long did Vidya Balan face body image pressure?
Vidya Balan said the expectation to slim down did not stop after Kismat Konnection. She revealed that similar requests from filmmakers continued until as late as 2019. “I’d get asked on almost every project if I could shed some weight,” she said. “If I could do it easily, I would’ve done it for myself, not just for a film.”
She said these demands came even when the script or character did not require a particular physical look. Over time, these pressures took a toll on her health and self-image. “I was barely eating and training like crazy, but still gaining weight,” Vidya Balan said.
Eventually, she was diagnosed with a hormonal issue that made weight loss difficult, regardless of exercise or restricted diets. She said it took years to realize that her physical struggles were linked to internal imbalances rather than a lack of effort.
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When did Vidya Balan’s transformation begin?
Vidya Balan said she was able to bring her weight under control only after she began following a different approach recommended by a Chennai-based nutrition group called Amura. “They told me to stop pushing myself in the gym and cut out foods that were triggering my system,” she said.
This shift included moving to an anti-inflammatory diet and cutting back on intense workouts. According to Vidya Balan, this advice helped her lose several kilos and also improved her overall health and mental well-being.
Her experience, she said, stands in contrast to the popular belief that extreme dieting and exercise are the only paths to fitness.
What are Vidya Balan’s current views on body image?
Today, Vidya Balan is vocal about rejecting unrealistic beauty standards in the film industry. She said she no longer agrees to change her appearance just to fit into a role. “If you want a different body type, cast someone else. If you want me, take me as I am,” she said.
She also reflected on the emotional burden such pressure placed on her earlier in her career. “I’ve had people tell me I should work on myself and lose weight. But I actually believe there’s nothing wrong with me,” she said in an earlier interview.
Vidya Balan has consistently spoken out against body shaming and continues to advocate for self-acceptance. She believes that actors should not be forced to alter themselves to meet gendered or age-based expectations in casting decisions.
What broader industry issues does Vidya Balan’s story highlight?
Vidya Balan’s remarks draw attention to persistent ageism and appearance-based bias in Bollywood, particularly in how female actors are treated compared to their male counterparts. While she acknowledged some progress in recent years, she said the underlying attitudes still remain.
Her decision to speak openly about these experiences adds to the ongoing dialogue around body image, health, and gendered expectations in Indian cinema.
