Vidya Balan Reveals Her Mom Made Her Follow Diet To Lose Weight: 'I Used To Be Angry'

Vidya Balan has always been an advocate of body positivity. The actress faced a lot of challenges while growing up. In a recent conversation with Luke Coutinho on his YouTube channel, Vidya Balan opened up about the struggles she faced to accept her own body. She shared how her mother’s concerns about her weight prompted her to embark on early dieting and fitness regimens. Additionally, Vidya recounted a poignant incident when a masseuse’s hurtful comment about her body left her feeling deeply distraught.

In a conversation with Luke Coutinho, Vidya Balan shared that she used to be a “chubby girl” growing up, and her mother tried all methods to force her to lose weight. Vidya said, “I was scared about the fact that I would be judged like my mom, who also grew up as a big girl. Parents are always worried for their children, and I see that today. I used to be very angry with my mother, ‘Why does she make me go through the exercise regime? Why is she making me diet so early?’ Maybe it’s because she was worried for me. I grew up hating my body. I had developed hormonal issues very early on in my life because it was a rejection of the body.” The actress added that even when she was in school, people would call her “cute” names due to her body weight.

Vidya Balan recounted that once while she was getting a body massage done, the masseuse commented that she had put on weight again. This led to the actress breaking down and crying as she saw her husband, Siddharth Roy Kapur, later.

The actress stated, “I have been criticised a lot for my body, and it has not been easy at all. I have spent a lifetime hating my body. It is only now that I have accepted my body. Not to say I do not have bad days and I do not want to be Barbie.”

In addition, Vidya Balan expressed her discomfort with comments about her weight loss. She clarified that she maintains a consistent exercise routine, despite the common misconception that she doesn’t exercise at all. Vidya further mentioned that, despite her dedication to fitness, she has been unable to attain the “quintessential heroine body” and is still in the process of understanding the cause behind it.

Vidya Balan was last seen in the crime thriller Neeyat in the role of a detective. She will star in Shirsha Guha Thakurta’s next film Lovers starring Sendhil Ramamurthy, Ileana D’Cruz, and Pratik Gandhi.