Overview

• Vidya Balan says that before filming Kismat Konnection in 2008 she was told to shed weight so she would look younger than her co-star Shahid Kapoor.
• She reports that until 2019 filmmakers routinely asked her to lose weight for every project regardless of her character’s requirements.
• The actress describes extreme dieting and intense workouts that left her body in distress and harmed her mental well-being.
• After 2019 she followed a Chennai-based nutritionists’ anti-inflammatory diet plan, leading to sustainable weight loss without strenuous exercise.
• Her account underscores a broader shift in Bollywood toward challenging ageism and body-shaming while noting that appearance pressures persist.