The ‘it’ girl of Bollywood was clearly enjoying her well-earned place in the spotlight. “Filhaal toh I am enjoying the response to Paa and Ishqiya. Abhi tak woh bhoot zara sawaar hai and I am not complaining,” she smiled.
In town to flag off the Airtel Kolkata Marathon 2010, Vidya Balan was, well, Vidya Balan.
Feeling good that you are finally getting to play roles that are closer to your heart?
Yes, absolutely! Closer to the heart in the sense that it is the kind of work that I believe in. The kind of work that challenges and fulfils me. God’s been kind! Achha lagta hai as actors jab aapko alag alag types ke role nibhane ko milein, ussi mein maza hai. I felt very challenged by the role (Ishqiya). It gave me a lot of scope to learn and grow.
You also have a lot of different roles in a historical (Chenab Gandhi) and in a film on juvenile delinquency (Chand Bhai) coming up?
I don’t know when Chand Bhai is happening. Main bahut jald shuru kar rahi hoon kaam ek film par jo ek thriller hai, which is with Raj Kumar Gupta, jinhone Aamir direct kiya hai iske pehle. Agle hafte kaam shuru ho rahi hai uss film pey. It’s called No One Killed Jessica. It’s just a script I believe in.
You are also looking really fit…
It’s been a lot of hard work… I think just a better, healthier lifestyle. I am someone who has always worked out, but previously what would happen is I would work out in spurts and was not dedicated about it.
Sometimes the body takes time to respond. I would work out crazily for a month and if the results did not show within that month, I would give up. There was no consistency. Then I started working with this trainer one-and-a-half years ago. His name is Vilayat Hussain. He trains me at home. I don’t have any gym equipment. We do calisthenics, which is basically strength training. He keeps me motivated through the various changes in schedules.
I think it is very important that your trainer be a positive person. I kept telling him that the results are not showing and I was getting fed up. He said forget losing weight, just focus on keeping fit. He kept drilling that into me. Strangely the moment I started working out to keep fit I started losing weight. I enjoy my workouts. I work out four to five times a week for 45 minutes to an hour. It’s a very dynamic workout.
There are times when I go to the beach and run and there are times when I do a little weight. Otherwise I could be jogging on the spot…various other things. Now, exercise is a part of my life. I have also started going to a dietician, Pooja Makhija, who makes me eat every two hours. Previously, I used to not eat for 12 to 14 hours at a stretch which is the worst thing to do to your body. I was not losing weight despite the hard work because of bad diet.
I was also not sleeping enough. For the past one year or so I have regularised my life. I sleep very late, by three ’clock or so but try to get eight hours of sleep when I can and five to six hours when I am shooting. I think sleep is a very important part of fitness and even if you want to lose weight sleep is very important. It is important for your well-being. I am a huge endorser of good sleep. I believe if you are not sleeping well and you need help and go see a doctor, it is worth it. You should invest in it. I have seen the changes. I feel so much better. I feel that much more energetic, positive.
One film that you watched recently and liked…
To be honest, besides Paa and Ishqiya, I have not watched any film in the past two months. I am proud of both these films.
Do we see you cheering for KKR this year at the Eden Gardens?
I am not a cricket fan really, but any excuse to come to Calcutta!
No comments:
Post a Comment